The true problem doesn't lie with Internet access, it lies with low quality software.
The fact was that it was never safe, it was never secure, but that taking advantage of those problems was hard, and generally not monetarily worth it, meant we ignored the issues. That's no longer the case.
As for low quality software, the floor for the quality that internet connected software needs to have is now dramatically higher than the quality that non-connected software needs. I think that in many applications, it may no longer be economically worth it, or maybe even possible at all, to hit the necessary quality.
First, I don't think people will give up the convenience of having instant access to the information.
Second, hackers are way ahead in terms of using AI. But it doesn't mean that it's going to stay that way. AI is going to be used for cyber security more. The implication is that the operating costs will be higher. In this case, it will make your groceries more expensive.
Nearly all software is low quality software. The programmers at the fridge company are likely 4 underpaid engineers in Pennsylvania or some other equivalent.
Saying the problem here is bad code is like saying the problem with gun violence is humans are too squishy to deflect bullets.
And the simplest solution is to air gap these systems, then figure out how everything else should work.
In NL we use paper and pencils for elections because it makes fraud incredibly hard. It makes the process harder as well but the baseline is that it breaks nation-scale attacks. Why this level of thinking isn't applied to *our foodchain* is beyond me.
The auditors should have their own devices separate from the temperature control to monitor them. All it needs is a few sensors, temp, humidity, etc.
No need for complicated cloud this-and-that nor air-gapping a grocery chain. Keep it simple.
When I first started credit cards were not taken as online payments, the system just stored your card details and the amount. That was sent to server in the back office, which collected all the data, then every night it would make a dial up or ISDN connection to the head office and send all the data there.
At least with CC's this would get your account cancelled now.
The right answer isn't forever patching freezer software. The answer is either to not have them on the internet, or to have something in front of them, and keep that thing very up-to-date. (Or maybe several layers of "something" in front of them.)
How often do you think the knobs would need to be turned? You think someone or something is constantly fiddling with the temperature knobs of each individual freezer?
Ironically, were the monitoring system competently made, not only would it have been unable to cause this problem, but it would have also been able to alert about it in time to prevent significant loss.
> There is no reason for them to ever have an internet connection.
You can't know this.
How do you remote control the temperature without having any remote connection to them?
Have you worked in a small rural grocery store ever? You speak confidently about what they need/don't need, but you fail to account for a very basic use case, making me unsure if you actually know what you're talking about or not.
I'm not even sure of a scenario where remote control from off site is faster or more convenient. I could see a managers office wanting a connection to them maybe.