Why remote access exists
Controls and refrigeration contractors look after many sites at once. Remote access lets them see alarms, adjust settings and fix faults without a site visit. That saves call-out costs and gets problems fixed faster.
How it usually goes wrong
- The controller's web page is put straight on the internet, so anyone who finds it can try to log in.
- One shared login is used by the whole contractor team, often the factory default.
- Nobody reviews who has access, so former contractors and staff keep it for years.
- Firmware is never updated, and older models stop receiving security fixes altogether.
- Nobody is told when a setting changes, so a bad change goes unnoticed until something fails.
These are exactly the weaknesses behind the October 2026 attack on French supermarket refrigeration, where internet-exposed controllers were pushed into a 50 °C defrost cycle overnight. Read what happened.
Six ways to keep remote service and close the door
Take controllers off the open internet
Route remote access through a VPN or a secure remote-access gateway that your IT team controls.
One person, one account
No shared or default logins. Use multi-factor authentication wherever the system supports it.
Access when needed, not always
Where possible, switch contractor access on for a job and off afterwards.
Review access every quarter
List every account and route, and remove anyone who no longer needs it.
Get told when settings change
Log changes to setpoints, schedules and defrost cycles, and alert a named person, including at night.
Put it in the contract
Service contracts should state how the contractor connects, who has access, and how quickly they patch.
One caution before you cut a connection: check your service and insurance contracts first, as France's cyber agency advised after the attack, then restore access through the secure route.
Not sure who has access to your controls?
Our security check lists every controller and access path across your sites, and shows how to close the gaps without losing remote service.