How hackers can get inside fridges and other home appliances

French shoppers were recently shocked to find many of their favourite supermarkets were completely out of cheese, milk and other perishable* items. The reason? Hackers had gained remote access to the refrigeration systems used at hundreds of stores and turned up the thermostats, causing thousands of products to spoil overnight.

The hackers who sabotaged* these refrigeration systems took advantage of the growing connectivity of equipment that was once largely mechanical.

From refrigerators and heating systems to security cameras and alarm networks, a growing range of devices can now be monitored and controlled remotely, creating new opportunities for cyber criminals.

CAN HACKERS REALLY GET INTO MY FRIDGE?
The cyber attack was a concerning example of just what hackers can do when devices are connected to the internet. So, does this mean hackers can gain access to our fridges at home?

In theory, yes, if you have a smart fridge.

If a device is connected to the internet, directly or through an app, cloud service* or home network, it can potentially be hacked.

In 2015, researchers at a Las Vegas hacking conference demonstrated how a Samsung smart refrigerator could be compromised*, allowing them to intercept* some of the internet traffic passing through the device.

In many cases, attackers are more interested in stealing data, disrupting services or using connected devices as a way into a larger network.

WHAT HOUSEHOLD DEVICES COULD BE HACKED?
The most common targets are devices connected to the internet that can be controlled remotely.

These include security cameras, video doorbells, alarm systems, smart locks, thermostats and central heating systems.

Smart appliances such as refrigerators, ovens and washing machines could also be vulnerable if they are connected to the wider internet. Believe it or not, even some toothbrushes are now internet-connected.

Routers*, not appliances, account for more than three-quarters of all attacks on connected devices, according to security industry data from around the world.

The number of these devices has grown rapidly as manufacturers have added internet connectivity to products that were once entirely mechanical.

For instance, ovens, washing machines and fridges were traditionally stand-alone items that connected to the power supply but not the internet. Now that manufacturers have added features such as telling you when you are running low on food (fridges) and being able to control your oven from your phone, internet connectivity has been added – creating security vulnerabilities that hackers have started to take advantage of.

WHAT COULD A HACKER ACTUALLY DO?
Once inside a device, a hacker could generally do one of two things: gather information or take control of the device.

A camera can show the inside of a home, a device with a microphone can pick up sound, and a compromised router can expose everything that travels through the network. These pieces of data can reveal sensitive information that hackers can use against you.

Hackers who take control of a device can switch it on or off, change settings or lock users out of their accounts. A hacked freezer or refrigerator could disrupt temperature controls.

In more serious cases, attackers may use poorly secured devices to gain access to other systems on the same network or to steal personal information linked to online accounts.

COULD HACKERS TAKE OVER MY CAR, ELECTRICITY OR WATER SUPPLY?
Cybersecurity researchers have repeatedly demonstrated vulnerabilities in connected vehicles.

In 2015, researchers remotely took control of a moving Jeep through its internet-connected entertainment system, forcing the recall* of about 1.4 million vehicles and the roll out of software fixes.

Nearly a decade later, researchers disclosed a flaw that allowed them to track, unlock and start certain Kia vehicles using only a licence plate number. The researchers said they reported the vulnerabilities to Kia, which fixed them within months, and there was no evidence they had been used in real-world attacks.

Modern vehicles and aircraft are also designed with extensive safety and backup systems, which makes it very unlikely for your car to be hacked.

Critical infrastructure* such as power and water networks generally has multiple layers of security, monitoring and regulation that are not present in consumer devices.

While they are not completely immune from cyber attacks, they are typically much harder to hack than a household appliance connected to a home Wi-Fi network.

HOW CAN PEOPLE PROTECT THEIR DEVICES?
Cybersecurity experts generally recommend changing default passwords, enabling two-factor authentication* where available and regularly installing software updates.

Families should also remove or replace devices that no longer receive security updates, keep most devices on a local network* and only connect products to the wider internet when there is a clear reason to do so.

The simplest rule is often the most effective: the fewer connected devices you have, the fewer potential entry points exist for attackers.

Reuters reporting by Hugo Lhomedet and Leo Marchandon; editing by Matt Scuffham

POLL

GLOSSARY

• perishable: goes bad when not kept below a certain temperature
• sabotaged: deliberately destroy, damage or interfere with something
• cloud service: a platform hosted by another provider that is delivered over the internet
• compromised: made accessible to other users
• intercept: stop, catch or seize something when it’s travelling
• Routers: networking devices that connect multiple computer networks together
• recall: requesting the return of a defective item
• infrastructure: structures and facilities needed for the running of society
• two-factor authentication: a sign in method that requires two different ways to prove your identity
• local network: a local-area network (LAN) is a collection of computers or devices connected together in a single physical location

EXTRA READING
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Car that drives itself while you catch up on sleep

QUICK QUIZ
1. How did hackers recently destroy a huge amount of perishable goods in France?
2. What sort of items can hackers potentially gain access to?
3. What are some things hackers can do once they gain access to our digital devices?
4. How can we protect ourselves from being hacked?
5. What sort of measures are in place to protect critical infrastructure?

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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Guide the grown-ups
Create a guide for parents and other adults. Your purpose is to help them understand how they can protect their homes against cyber attacks.

Time: Spend at least 20 minutes on this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Health and Physical Education

2. Extension
Who do you think should be responsible for staying safe from cyber attacks on devices in our homes – the internet provider, the company that made the devices, the owner or the government? Choose at least one. Write a paragraph explaining your choice.

Time: Spend at least 30 minutes on this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Digital Technology

VCOP ACTIVITY
Wow word recycle
There are plenty of wow words (ambitious pieces of vocabulary) being used in the article. Some are in the glossary, but there might be extra ones from the article that you think are exceptional as well.

Identify all the words in the article that you think are not common words, and particularly good choices for the writer to have chosen.

Select three words you have highlighted to recycle into your own sentences.

If any of the words you identified are not in the glossary, write up your own glossary for them.

Extension
Find a bland sentence from the article to up-level. Can you add more detail and description? Can you replace any base words with more specific synonyms?

Down-level for a younger audience. Find a sentence in the article that is high level. Now rewrite it for a younger audience so they can understand the words without using the glossary.