Cybersecurity in refrigeration: protecting the cold chain also means protecting Connectivity
If you have a Kiconex monitoring system, you can rest assured that it has not been affected by the wave of cyberattacks targeting the refrigeration industry. One of its key strengths is that our team continuously updates the system, so you don’t have to worry about it.
A cyberattack is no longer limited to locking a computer, encrypting files, or disrupting a website. When digital systems are connected to physical installations, the consequences can directly affect operations.
And commercial refrigeration has just provided a very clear example.
On 2 November 2026, supermarkets and retail outlets in several European countries experienced disruptions to their refrigeration systems. Belgium, Sweden, Ireland, Estonia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Finland were among the countries affected. In some stores, temperatures in cold rooms and refrigerated display cabinets rose abnormally, forcing retailers to dispose of chilled and frozen products.
These incidents come just three weeks after the attacks reported in France on the night of 11–12 October, when hundreds of supermarkets experienced remote interference with their refrigeration systems. In some cases, operating and defrost parameters were modified, causing temperature increases and product losses.
This situation raises a key question that directly affects the future of connected refrigeration:
How can we benefit from remote monitoring without unnecessarily exposing refrigeration installations to cyber risks?
When a Cyberattack Affects the Cold Chain
Digitalisation has transformed the management of refrigeration installations.
Today, we can monitor temperatures, pressures, and alarms in real time, analyse historical data, adjust setpoints, anticipate failures, and carry out certain maintenance operations remotely, without having to visit the site.
However, this connectivity also introduces a new factor into system design and maintenance: cybersecurity.
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The incidents in France demonstrated just how much interference with a monitoring system can have physical consequences for a refrigeration installation and the products stored within it. The French cybersecurity agency CERT-FR warned at the time that multiple systems had been compromised and recommended paying particular attention to equipment with management interfaces directly accessible from the Internet.
Investigations are ongoing, and no single method of entry common to all incidents has been publicly established. It would therefore be incorrect to attribute all the attacks to the same vulnerability.
There is, however, one clear lesson: a device can continue to operate correctly while no longer being secure.
Just Because It Works Doesn’t Mean It’s Secure
In industrial and commercial refrigeration, control and monitoring equipment can remain operational for many years.
The problem arises when its functional service life exceeds its cybersecurity support lifecycle.
Some of the devices involved in the French attacks were older products that no longer received software or security updates. Other affected systems were still supported but were running outdated firmware versions.
The situation is comparable to using a computer connected to the Internet today with an operating system that stopped receiving updates years ago. It may still start up and run its applications, but vulnerabilities discovered after support ended may remain unpatched.
In critical installations, updating and replacing monitoring systems must be part of the maintenance of the refrigeration installation itself.
The Answer Is Not to Disconnect the Installation
Giving up remote monitoring would mean losing many of the tools that currently help improve efficiency, maintenance and service continuity.
The question is not whether an installation should be connected, but how that connection is established.
A secure monitoring architecture should minimise the direct exposure of refrigeration controllers to the Internet.
In the architecture used by Kiconex, Box devices act as communication gateways between the installation’s controllers and the cloud platform. The refrigeration equipment exchanges information through local networks and protocols, while the Box itself establishes a secure, encrypted outbound connection to the cloud.
This means there is no need to open router ports to access refrigeration controllers directly from the Internet.
When using the M2M mobile connectivity provided by Kiconex, an additional layer of protection against external access is also introduced. Remote maintenance operations are carried out through secure VPN connections.
Not All Users Should Have the Same Access Rights
Cybersecurity does not depend solely on infrastructure.
It also depends on who can access the system and what they can do once logged in.
A monitoring platform should clearly distinguish between viewing information and modifying the operation of the installation.
Kiconex allows individual user accounts to be created with different permission levels. For example, a store manager may have read-only access, while changes to setpoints, commands or configuration parameters are restricted to authorised technical personnel.
The platform also supports two-factor authentication (2FA) and maintains an audit log of actions performed, making it possible to identify who made specific changes and when.
What Happens if the Internet Connection Is Lost?
A monitoring architecture should not make the cloud connection a single point of failure.
In the system used by Kiconex, refrigeration control continues to operate independently of the cloud connection.
If the Internet connection is lost, the controllers continue to regulate the refrigeration installation, while the Box continues to store data and execute locally configured rules. Once communication is restored, the stored data and alarms are transmitted to the platform.
During the disconnection, new alarms cannot be received in real time through that connection. However, a loss of connectivity does not, in itself, cause the refrigeration controllers to stop operating.
Cybersecurity Doesn’t End When the System Is Installed
Designing a secure architecture is just as important as maintaining its security throughout its entire service life.
This involves:
- Keeping firmware and software up to date.
- Avoiding management interfaces that are directly exposed to the Internet.
- Using VPNs or secure networks for remote maintenance.
- Replacing devices that have reached the end of their support lifecycle.
- Using strong passwords and two-factor authentication.
- Defining access permissions according to each user’s responsibilities.
- Keeping records of actions performed on the installation.
- Establishing backup and recovery procedures.
Kiconex holds ISO 27001 certification for information security management and has procedures in place to review security updates. Its approach also includes replacing certain devices when they become obsolete and can no longer be adequately maintained.
Cybersecurity Is Now an Integral Part of Refrigeration
Recent events affecting European supermarkets demonstrate that digital security and cold chain protection can no longer be treated as separate disciplines.
A remote change to a setpoint can ultimately affect a cold room. A cybersecurity vulnerability can lead to product losses. And an obsolete device can continue to operate perfectly while posing an unnoticed security risk.
Digitalisation remains an essential tool for developing more efficient, predictive and better-controlled refrigeration installations.
But connecting them requires doing so securely.
Connecting Means Moving Forward. Protecting Is Our Responsibility.
Through INTARCON Smart Services, INTARCON integrates monitoring and maintenance tools designed to provide greater insight into installation performance, anticipate deviations and maintain secure connectivity throughout their service life.
Because monitoring a refrigeration installation is not just about being able to access it from anywhere.
It’s also about doing so securely.
