French supermarket chains Intermarché and Cooperative U have experienced a significant cyber-attack that led to the defrosting of their refrigerators, according to statements from the retailers.
Approximately 150-200 Intermarché locations and nearly 100 Cooperative U stores were targeted in the attack, as reported on Monday. Paris prosecutors confirmed the incident, which reportedly also affected other major chains, resulting in some fire outbreaks.
BFM TV reported that E. Leclerc, France's largest supermarket chain, was also impacted, with hackers managing to remotely trigger forced defrosting in several stores. E. Leclerc did not immediately confirm these claims.
Intermarché announced that affected branches would need to discard all fresh and frozen products. Dominique Schelcher, CEO of Cooperative U, labeled the attack as “unprecedented,” emphasizing the severity of targeting systems crucial for food preservation and supply in France. He stated that the company is working diligently to rectify the situation and that an investigation will be necessary to fully understand the attack.
The Paris prosecutor's office confirmed an investigation into the large-scale cyber-attack on several major food retail chains in France. This investigation aims to identify the victims and assess the reported damages, including food losses and fire outbreaks.
Intermarché criticized the resulting food waste and financial losses, noting potential issues with insurance policies that may not cover such in-store incidents. BFM TV reported that temperatures were altered remotely, leading to the destruction of fresh and frozen product stocks.
This incident highlights growing concerns over the disruptive potential of cyber-attacks in Europe across various sectors. Earlier, President Emmanuel Macron, who supports Ukraine against the Russian invasion, directed measures to safeguard France's critical infrastructure from Russian "hybrid attacks."
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