Cybercriminals increasingly attack physical building systems, not just data

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Cyberattacks are moving beyond stolen data into the physical world, and The Register's Jessica Lyons has looked at the growing trend. Attackers are increasingly targeting the systems that run buildings, from refrigeration to door access and heating. The consequences can be very real

One recent example stands out. An unidentified attacker hacked thousands of remotely controlled refrigeration systems across hundreds of French grocery stores, raising temperatures, spoiling food and even causing fires. In August, ransomware at a Canadian hospital disrupted door access, heating and ventilation monitoring, and staff access cards

A security consultant described one ransomware victim who refused to pay and was then locked out of its own offices. Police had to break windows to get inside. It is a striking example of how digital attacks can have physical consequences

The statistics are worrying. Research from Armis found that 73 percent of organisations own building automation systems of a type that has been used in ransomware attacks, and 91 percent of these systems use insecure protocols. Dragos counted 1,020 ransomware incidents against industrial organisations in the first quarter of 2026 and 1,140 in the second, and estimates that fewer than 10 percent of operational technology networks are properly monitored

A former US homeland security official said the French attacks used unpatched firmware and were probably opportunistic rather than state backed. That is both reassuring and alarming, because it means ordinary criminals can cause this kind of disruption. Building systems clearly need the same attention as IT networks

Are building management systems the next big security weak point? And who should be responsible for securing them?

Cybercrims go beyond stealing data to attack physical building systemswww.theregister.com