When cyber incidents start affecting the physical world, the consequences can look very different. "Recent attacks on remotely managed refrigeration systems in France showed how access to legitimate operational controls can be enough to cause real-world disruption, without the need for sophisticated destructive malware. "And the risk goes far beyond supermarket fridges. Recent reports of a cyber attack affecting blood banks in France further highlight how cyber incidents targeting connected systems can have implications for critical healthcare services.
"Connected operational technology supports everything from food supply and warehouses to healthcare, manufacturing, transport, energy and water. As these environments become more connected to enterprise IT, cloud platforms, remote service providers and third parties, the potential attack surface grows too. "The takeaway? Organisations need to understand not just what is connected, but why it is connected, who can access it and how quickly it can be isolated if something goes wrong. Reducing unnecessary internet exposure, securing remote access and supplier relationships, and monitoring operational systems can all help prevent a cyber incident becoming a physical one."
Read our earlier expert commentary on what the French supermarket attacks tell us about the growing risk across connected systems: French supermarket cyber attack highlights growing risks across connected retail systems
Matt Hull is Vice President of Cyber Intelligence and Response at NCC Group, leading the global Cyber Response and Intelligence (CRI) capability.
A former Detective Constable specialising in cybercrime, Matt brings deep operational experience across investigation, response, and intelligence-led operations. He leads
