Cold war? Why are fridges being hacked and what could be next? - The Latest

In this episode, hosts Lucy Hough and Aisha Down explore the curious case of hacked fridges in supermarkets that resulted in significant losses and damage to food supplies. Aisha explains that these hacks are typically aimed at 'edge devices' like fridges that are less protected compared to main servers, and vulnerabilities often arise when devices are not regularly 'patched' to fix security issues.

There have been coordinated attacks across various European countries, including France, Belgium, Sweden, and the UK, where hackers managed to manipulate the temperature settings of fridges, rendering food supplies unusable. Interestingly, these attacks did not come with any ransom demands, leading experts to speculate about the motivations behind them, potentially linking them to state-sponsored cyber warfare, particularly from Russia or Iran.

The conversation shifts to the psychological impact of these attacks, suggesting that the goal may be to instill fear rather than to cause permanent damage. Lucy raises concerns about the implications of such cyber threats on food supply chains and how various countries are becoming more aware of the need for technological resilience against cyber threats.

The episode also highlights warnings from cybersecurity agencies regarding the growing threats posed by AI-powered malware, indicating that critical infrastructure like power stations and hospitals may be at risk. While discussing the potential for more sophisticated attacks in the future, Aisha emphasizes that not all hacks are equal and that disparate systems make it difficult for attackers to compromise multiple targets simultaneously. The episode concludes with thoughts on how individuals can protect their own smart devices from potential vulnerabilities.