Fridges in French supermarkets hit by cyber attack

Several French supermarket chains have been targeted in a cyber attack that caused their refrigerators to defrost, resulting in the spoilage of fresh and frozen food. The attack, which was confirmed by Paris prosecutors, affected an estimated 150-200 Intermarché shops and almost 100 Cooperative U outlets.

The cyber attack, which was described as 'unprecedented' by the chief executive of Cooperative U, Dominique Schelcher, caused the refrigeration systems in numerous stores to heat up, forcing some to warm to 50C (120F) overnight. This led to the spoilage of fresh and frozen food, with some supermarkets reporting losses of €270,000 (£228,000) between them.

The Paris prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into the incident, which it called a 'large-scale cyber-attack affecting the refrigerators of several major food retail chains across France'. The investigation will help 'identify the victims and establish the link with the damage they reported in terms of foodstuff losses and the outbreak of fires'.

The full scale of the attack is so far unclear, with reports suggesting that stores from other food giants, including Carrefour, E.Leclerc and Monoprix, were also attacked. The European Food Commissioner, Christophe Hansen, condemned the hack in a post on X, saying that 'food security requires more attention at all levels'.

The supermarket chains affected by the cyber attack are working to restore the situation as quickly as possible, with Cooperative U's chief executive, Dominique Schelcher, saying that staff are 'fully mobilised, in co-ordination with refrigeration specialists, to restore the situation as quickly as possible'.