Cyberattacks on
across Europe sent temperatures soaring on Monday, spoiling food and causing significant financial losses in the second such incident in less than a month.
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temperatures → send → month
In October, hundreds of French stores were in a similar attack that sent temperatures in some units soaring to 122° Fahrenheit, destroying a huge amount of food.
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temperatures → send → food
On Wednesday, France's health service said the country's national emergency blood supply network had also been compromised by hackers this week, though alert and backup systems prevented cold storage facilities from being shut down, and no supplies were lost.
The incidents have renewed wider concerns about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure and the growing
.
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incidents → say → infrastructure
It is not just essential systems such as electricity grids, healthcare databases and grocery store chains' refrigeration, which can have multiple layers of security and redundancy built in, but everyday appliances that are now connected to the internet.
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that → have → internet
The concern among some experts is that devices pitched as time-saving conveniences for consumers could also create potential entry points for hackers.
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devices → pitch → hackers
CBS News spoke with several cybersecurity experts who warned that similar vulnerabilities to those exploited in the grocery store hacks could exist in our homes.
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vulnerabilities → speak → homes
"Our homes may be more vulnerable than many people think.
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people → think → ?
Smart fridges, TVs, cameras, and locks are small computers connected to the internet, and like any computer, they can have weaknesses," Dr. Manny Niri, a cybersecurity lecturer at Oxford Brookes University, told CBS News.
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Niri → connect → News
"Often the problem is simple: default or reused passwords, old software, or accounts with weak security," he said.
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he → reuse → security
Professor George Loukas, head of the Centre for Sustainable Cyber Security at the University of Greenwich, said vulnerabilities in some mass-produced devices could potentially expose millions of households simultaneously.
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vulnerabilities → say → households
"One flaw in a popular model opens the door to every home that owns it," he said.
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he → open → it
What could hackers actually do?
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hackers → do → What
The consequences could extend beyond hackers simply switching an appliance on or off remotely, to "anything the device is already allowed to do," Loukas said.
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Loukas → extend → anything
"If an app can turn off your heating, unlock your door or switch off your camera, so can a hacker.
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hacker → turn → camera
The physical harm comes from using the system as designed, just with malicious intent and controlled by someone other than you," he said.
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he → come → you
"Unauthorized access to a camera or microphone could reveal when people are at home, what they are doing and, potentially, their conversations," said Niri.
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Niri → reveal → what
"A compromised device can sometimes give hackers access to other devices on the same network, potentially exposing personal or financial information.
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device → compromise → information
In 2025, U.S. cybersecurity officials identified a critical vulnerability in certain WiFi thermostats that could allow hackers to gain full administrative control of the units.
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hackers → identify → units
Meanwhile, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission documented cases involving Ring security cameras in which and used cameras to spy on and harass homeowners.
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Commission → document → homeowners
Dr. Abdullahi Arabo, associate professor of cyberscience and network security at the University of the West of England, warned that a single compromised device could expose other systems within a household.
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device → warn → household
"A compromised device can sometimes give hackers access to other devices on the same network, potentially exposing personal or financial information," he said.
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he → compromise → information
Could millions of homes be hacked simultaneously?
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millions → hack → homes
Experts say the greater danger may not be hackers targeting individual homes, but exploiting vulnerabilities across millions of identical devices.
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hackers → say → devices
Artificial intelligence could make attacks like that significantly easier to pull off, Loukas told CBS News.
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Loukas → make → News
"With AI, an attack that once needed a skilled team working for weeks can now be run by one person," Loukas warned.
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Loukas → need → person
"This lowers the bar for who can cause disruption at scale.
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who → lower → scale
"
"When millions of homes rely on the same device, a single flaw becomes everyone's problem," he added.
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he → rely → device
The experts who spoke with CBS News emphasize that ordinary, individual households are unlikely to be deliberately targeted.
"
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households → speak → News
I suggest awareness, not fear," Niri said, adding a warning that "comfort has a cost.
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comfort → suggest → cost
Before buying a smart device, we should ask, 'Do I really need this to be online, and what happens if it is hacked?'"
He recommended changing default passwords on all devices, enabling two-factor authentication on those that allow it, regularly updating software, and retaining manual control over essential systems.
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that → buy → systems
The Aporia
