European supermarkets have faced costly cyberattacks that tamper with commercial fridge temperatures. Jeff Shirley, CEO of Rivercity Innovations, explains how these hacks occurred and the precautions IoT businesses must take.
Shirley’s company, based in Saskatoon, uses low-powered sensors to monitor data like temperature and humidity, alerting companies to drastic changes. Rivercity operates in seven countries and has received calls from European customers since the hacks.
Why connect a fridge to the internet?
Commercial fridges are complex, multi-million-dollar systems with different temperature zones. Remote monitoring allows experts to adjust settings and controls simultaneously across hundreds of stores. This ties into energy management and predictive maintenance, ensuring food safety and environmental protection.
In Europe, a vendor’s unpatched hardware allowed hackers to access control systems. They increased temperatures to 50°C, causing frozen products to thaw and resulting in hundreds of millions of euros in losses. Shirley notes that these settings aren’t unusual, as freezers run defrost cycles, making the hacks harder to detect.
The impact extends beyond hacks. Power outages from natural disasters can also ruin food. Rivercity’s monitoring system alerts staff to abnormal temperatures, allowing businesses to take action.
Canada’s vulnerability and IoT security
Canada, with its developed infrastructure, is likely on top of updates, but Shirley emphasizes the need for vigilance. Major players in wired control systems have security teams advising on updates. However, the complexity of these systems makes patching a challenge, especially with thousands of stores and coolers.
The broader IoT ecosystem is at risk. Commercial buildings with remotely managed HVAC systems are also vulnerable. As IoT expands, security must keep pace to prevent costly disruptions.
Rivercity’s monitoring system, using Long-Range, Wide-Area Network technology, offers a safety net for businesses. While the recent hacks have boosted their business, Shirley expresses concern for affected companies, highlighting the need for proactive security measures in the IoT space.
A successful hack into these systems could result in significant discomfort, productivity loss, and even health risks for occupants.
Rivercity’s Role in Mitigating Risks
In the wake of the European cyberattacks, Rivercity has experienced increased demand for its services. While this growth is a sign of the company’s expertise, Shirley remains focused on supporting affected businesses and raising awareness about the importance of IoT security. For instance, Rivercity’s monitoring system can detect drastic temperature changes, such as those that occur when a freezer’s temperature is increased to 50°C, or when it runs a defrost cycle, temporarily rising to -5°C to burn off frost.
Additionally, the system can monitor temperatures for specific products, like ice cream, which is usually stored at -25°C, and frozen pizzas, which are stored at -18°C. A smaller company may not be able to afford a $100,000 wired monitoring system, but Rivercity’s solution provides an affordable alternative. As the industry moves forward, it is clear that proactive measures are necessary to protect against emerging threats and ensure the safe and reliable operation of connected devices.