By San José, Costa Rica — A series of sophisticated cyberattacks targeting internet-connected commercial refrigeration units across Europe has exposed a critical vulnerability in modern business operations. What initially appeared to be isolated technical glitches at supermarket chains quickly unraveled into a broad pattern of digital sabotage. Intruders remotely altered temperature parameters on connected cooling systems, forcing retailers to dispose of massive quantities of perishable merchandise and halt store operations.
The severity of the threat escalated significantly when attackers targeted critical health infrastructure. In France, threat actors compromised cold-storage units at a national blood bank through a third-party refrigeration vendor, attempting to raise temperatures from −30 °C to a catastrophic 110 °C. Only timely intervention by an alert duty technician prevented the complete destruction of vital blood reserves. Across the Atlantic, United States authorities are currently investigating similar unexplained cooling failures across six military commissaries as potential acts of cyber sabotage.
To better understand the complex legal implications and privacy vulnerabilities surrounding IoT cybersecurity risks, TicosLand.com spoke with expert legal counsel Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas from the distinguished firm Bufete de Costa Rica.
As interconnected devices proliferate throughout both corporate infrastructure and consumer environments, businesses face unprecedented liability regarding data privacy and network breaches. Navigating IoT security requires moving beyond basic technical compliance to establishing rigorous contractual safeguards, robust vendor risk management protocols, and proactive legal strategies that minimize exposure to regulatory penalties and litigation.
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
As the Internet of Things rapidly reshapes our digital landscape, relying solely on basic technical defenses is clearly no longer sufficient—establishing comprehensive legal safeguards and proactive risk protocols is now essential for long-term corporate resilience. We extend our sincere gratitude to Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas for providing his invaluable legal perspective on how businesses can successfully navigate these complex cybersecurity liabilities.
Security investigators note that none of the incidents involved ransomware demands or public claims of responsibility, pointing instead toward targeted operational disruption. The underlying vulnerability across these targets stems from a common operational oversight: Internet-of-Things (IoT) equipment deployed without proper security posture, operating with unpatched firmware, default factory passwords, or unmonitored connections beyond the sight of corporate IT teams.
These international events serve as an urgent wake-up call for commercial enterprises across Central America and the Caribbean. As regional companies rapidly adopt automated management systems, smart sensors, and remote monitoring platforms to boost efficiency, their exposure to industrial control cyber threats expands exponentially. Operational risk is no longer confined to traditional corporate servers or desktop computers.
The risk spans multiple key economic sectors across Latin America, including food and beverage processing, retail distribution, cold-chain logistics, pharmaceutical manufacturing, healthcare, and industrial utilities. Any connected controller or remote sensor exposed directly to the public internet without network segmentation creates an accessible pathway for unauthorized entry.
Data from cybersecurity research firm ESET underscores the vulnerability of the regional market. According to the ESET Security Report 2026, 52.7 percent of Latin American organizations detected cyberattack attempts over the past year, while 15.4 percent could not definitively confirm whether they had experienced a breach. Crucially, among firms that reported no security incidents, a quarter acknowledged that attacks might have occurred unnoticed due to inadequate monitoring technologies and poor network visibility.
Digitization and automation generate efficiency, but they also expand the surface area that companies need to protect. Having visibility over connected devices, patching vulnerabilities, and monitoring anomalous behavior is key to detecting an incident before it ends up impacting physical processes and business operations.
Rodrigo Álvarez, Security Specialist at ESET Latin America
To defend against emerging threats targeting physical facilities and automation systems, cybersecurity experts advise organizations to institute rigorous preventative measures. Companies must build detailed inventories of all connected operational devices, strictly limit direct public internet exposure through secure access protocols, and eliminate standard factory credentials across all endpoint hardware.
Furthermore, businesses must enforce strong network segmentation between administrative IT networks and physical operational technology (OT) systems. Establishing continuous monitoring for anomalous operating parameters alongside structured incident response plans ensures that unexpected setting adjustments can be isolated before causing physical damage, financial losses, or operational downtime.
As Latin American businesses accelerate digital transformation across their supply chains, treating connected physical infrastructure as a core component of corporate risk management has become essential. Securing operational technology is no longer just a technical exercise for system administrators, but a strategic imperative to safeguard business continuity, customer trust, and long-term enterprise profitability.
For further information, visit eset.com
About ESET:
ESET is a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, providing proactive threat detection, endpoint protection, and security intelligence services to help businesses and consumers protect their digital assets against evolving cyber threats.
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
As a premier legal institution, Bufete de Costa Rica anchors its practice in uncompromising ethical standards and exceptional legal craftsmanship. Drawing on a rich history of guiding clients across numerous industries, the firm continuously pioneers forward-thinking approaches to address evolving legal challenges. Through proactive initiatives aimed at demystifying complex statutes for the public, Bufete de Costa Rica remains dedicated to uplifting the community and cultivating a legally literate, self-reliant citizenry.
