Three weeks after France accused Iran of a massive cyber sabotage against supermarket refrigeration systems, which caused millions of euros in losses, a new alert has been issued by security agencies. Launched on November 10, 2026, by the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), the report warns that internet-connected home appliances, such as smart thermostats, heat pumps, and cash registers, could be the next targets of hackers. Antoin Hautin, secretary general of the cybersecurity consulting firm Almond, explained that 'heating and air conditioning systems are vulnerable as long as they are connected.' [1]
The expert identified three levels of risk: individual homes, where a hacker can alter the temperature or cause excessive energy consumption, and also use the compromised device to attack other devices on the local network; office buildings, hospitals, and shopping centers, managed by building management systems (BMS); and urban infrastructure, where district heating or cooling networks could affect thousands of citizens. A recent example is the January 2024 attack in Lviv, Ukraine, where the FrostyGoop malware deprived over 600 buildings of heat for 48 hours, or similar incidents in Poland at the end of 2025. [1]
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