Safeonweb

Belgian Government Urges Citizens to Secure Internet-Connected Private Refrigerators

The Belgian government has issued a public advisory calling on citizens to secure their internet-connected smart refrigerators and to carefully consider whether such devices need to be connected to the internet at all. The warning follows recent attacks on supermarket cooling systems across Europe, including in Belgium, where attackers raised temperatures and forced stores to discard large quantities of food. Safeonweb, an initiative of the Belgian Centre for Cybersecurity, stated there are currently no indications that private refrigerators are being targeted. Nevertheless, the agency emphasized the importance of basic IoT security hygiene for any connected device. Recommended measures include replacing default passwords with strong ones, applying updates promptly, isolating smart appliances on a separate Wi-Fi network, and limiting device permissions to only necessary functions and data.