Pentagon investigates suspected cyberattack behind military freezer failures – Nextgov/FCW

Pentagon investigates suspected cyberattack behind military freezer failures  Nextgov/FCW

August outages spoiled food at military commissaries across the nation. Investigators are also examining a similar attack on refrigeration systems in Fr… A Marine searches for frozen Commissary items in a CATC Camp Fuji mess hall freezer in March 2023. Song Jordan/U.S. Marine Corps The Pentagon is investigating a suspected cyberattack behind freezer malfunctions that spoiled food at military bases across the United States in August, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter. The outages affected some six commissaries — the on-base grocery stores serving military personnel — per the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the situation. At Fort Huachuca in Arizona, officials reported that a freezer had entered defrost mode and heated its contents, leaving food spoiled.

Reuters first reported Thursday that investigators were treating the incidents as a possible hack. It’s unclear who might be responsible or whether investigators have conclusively determined what caused the failures. Cyber Command and various Defense Department law enforcement units are probing the incident. French authorities are also working with officials examining the matter. Earlier this month, hackers overrode temperature controls on commercial refrigeration equipment at more than 350 French establishments, forcing supermarkets to discard spoiled food. The investigation draws attention to the computers that control everyday equipment used to store and handle food, an often