Afət Ziyadqızı
An organized cyberattack targeted the refrigeration and freezing systems of major supermarket chains in France. The attackers remotely accessed stores’ heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and raised temperature settings to critical levels, spoiling large quantities of fresh and frozen food.
The Operative Information Center-OMM reports that Dominique Schelcher, head of retail group Système U (Cooperative U), confirmed the incident on social media. He said freezer and refrigeration units at several stores in the group had been targeted. As a result of the interference, temperatures in ice cream and frozen-food display cabinets rose above 26°C.
Initial assessments put direct losses at 270,000 euros at two Intermarché and Super U supermarkets in France’s Alsace region. Company representatives have not ruled out total economic losses of millions of euros nationwide.
According to French broadcaster BFMTV, the cybercriminals breached the security and automation software controlling the refrigeration units and substantially altered their operating settings. The hackers activated a forced, continuous defrost cycle. Temperatures in some enclosed cold-storage rooms reportedly rose from below zero to as high as 50°C.
French government agencies responsible for cybersecurity and law enforcement have launched a large-scale investigation into the incident. Refrigeration systems are commonly managed by automated controls, making the security of their connected software important to the safe storage of perishable goods.
