[Anchor]
An unprecedented cyberattack simultaneously hit the refrigeration systems of hundreds of supermarkets in France, yet the identity of the perpetrators remains completely unknown. Amid this, warnings are emerging that such attacks could extend beyond industrial facilities to target ordinary households.
Reporter Gwak Sang-eun has the details.
[Reporter]
Supermarket employees dump ice cream, frozen pizzas, bread, ham, and cheese into plastic bins.
Following a cyberattack from the night of the 11th to the early hours of the 12th, the temperatures of refrigeration and freezing facilities skyrocketed up to 50°C (122°F), forcing the disposal of foods at risk of spoiling.
Passersby attempting to take the discarded products turn back at the staff's intervention.
[Store Clerk: (Then I'll be on my way.) (You cannot) take them!]
The French government stated that approximately 700 out of some 10,000 supermarkets nationwide suffered damage from this attack.
While hacking organizations typically pursue political motives or demand ransom, no group has claimed responsibility this time, leaving investigators unable to even outline the suspect.
As attention focuses on whether AI was utilized in this hacking incident, warnings have also emerged that smart home appliances such as refrigerators, TVs, and vacuum cleaners could be exploited for AI-driven hacking attacks.
AI pioneer Anthropic stated that small-scale AI models could replicate and spread themselves across internet-connected home appliances to launch cyberattacks.
Considering the pace of AI advancement, it raised the possibility that such attacks could actually materialize within just a few months.
Anthropic warned that in such cases, central control would be impossible, making it difficult to collectively block the attacks.
[Ciaran Martin / Former Director, UK National Cyber Security Centre: Cybersecurity is multilayered. Above all, we must demand safer devices and products from big tech companies.]
Along with strengthened security from manufacturers, individual households need to prevent damage through smart appliance security system updates and multi-factor authentication.
(Video Editing: Jung Yong-hwa)
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