If hackers can take control of a supermarket freezer, how vulnerable is other tech?
Published
What's this about?
Dozens of shops across European countries have been hit by a cyber-attack affecting their fridges.
The one-panel cartoon
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A dimly lit backroom of a supermarket, with a stack of frozen food boxes toppled on the floor, and a tech support technician frantically pressing buttons on a laptop connected to a large commercial freezer, which is blinking with error messages.
Caption: Tech support: 'Now let's see if we can un-freeze your cloud storage.'
Read the full 3-panel strip
Based on the original story on bbc.co.uk.
Editor's note
As the chill of reality sets in, it becomes evident that the digital refrigeration of our data and systems is just as prone to spoilage as the food in our fridges. The quiet hum of our connected lives is revealing its vulnerabilities one frosty bite at a time, reminding us that even the most mundane technologies can turn into gateways for chaos.
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Panel 1
A small-town grocery store, evening shift. The walls are lined with shelves of canned goods and produce. In the back, a lone worker, Maria, is leaning over a freezer, checking the temperature display on the door. Maria (to herself, puzzled)
Maria: Why is the freezer temperature dropping by itself? I just set it to 0 degrees.
Panel 2
Same store, a few moments later. Maria is now standing at the cash register, looking at her phone while a customer waits impatiently. Behind her, the freezer door is slowly opening and closing. Maria (into phone)
Maria: Yes, yes, I’ve tried everything. The freezer just won’t stop turning on and off. It’s like… it’s haunted!
Panel 3
The back office, where Maria is on a video call with a tech support person. The camera shows a small, dingy office cluttered with paperwork and a cracked computer monitor. Tech Support (on screen) Maria (to screen, bewildered) Maria (to herself, resigned) Maria (into phone, sarcastic)
Tech Support: Well, Maria, it looks like your freezer has been hacked. You’re not alone; it’s happening all over Europe.
Maria: Wait, what? My freezer is on the internet? How did I not know this was a thing?
Maria: Great, now I have to explain to my customers why their ice cream is melting.
Maria: I guess I’ll need a security system for my freezer. Who knew that frozen peas could be so dangerous?
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