HIBAPRESS
Hundreds of major stores in France were subjected to a large-scale cyberattack between Sunday night and Monday, targeting internet-connected refrigeration systems. This led to temperature disruptions inside refrigerators and freezers, resulting in the spoilage of significant quantities of fresh food. The attack affected stores belonging to several distribution chains, including Intermarché, Netto, Carrefour, and Monoprix, as well as other retailers.
According to information reported by Agence France-Presse, hackers targeted the refrigeration control systems of the Danish company "Danfoss," activating a remote defrost feature, which compromised the storage conditions for food products. The company explained that a large number of the affected devices are older models that no longer receive security updates, without confirming a link between previous vulnerabilities and the current attack.
Affected stores were forced to discard products that no longer met hygiene storage standards, causing food waste and financial losses whose extent has not yet been disclosed. Officials in the distribution sector considered the targeting of food preservation equipment to be an incident of grave concern, given its potential impact on product safety and the continuity of food supplies.
In response to the attack, the public prosecutor's office in Paris has opened an investigation to identify those responsible and assess the damages. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has requested urgent intervention from the National Cybersecurity Agency of France (ANSSI), which has mobilized its teams to support affected businesses and coordinate with relevant European authorities. European officials have also called for enhanced cybersecurity for internet-connected industrial systems.
