French Supermarkets Hit by Large-Scale Cyber Attack, Leaving Millions of Euros of Fresh and Frozen Food

A widespread cyber attack has struck hundreds of French supermarkets, causing widespread disruption to the country's food supply chain. The attack, which is believed to have been carried out by hackers, resulted in the heating of refrigeration units to alarming temperatures.

This led to the spoilage of millions of euros' worth of fresh and frozen food. According to one supermarket chain affected, some stores warmed to temperatures of 50 degrees Celsius overnight, forcing the disposal of affected food to avoid health risks.

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More than 100 supermarkets from Coopérative U were targeted. With the retailer's chief executive, Dominique Schelcher, describing the attack as extremely serious and unprecedented. Meanwhile, at least 300 stores from Intermarché and its Netto brand were affected, with the retailer's fridges warming to 50 degrees Celsius for six hours overnight into Monday.

As a precautionary measure, the retailer has thrown away all affected food to prevent health risks.

French prosecutors have launched a specific cyber-crime investigation into the incident. This has been described as a noting that large-scale cyber-attack affecting the refrigerators of several major food retail chains across France. European Food Commissioner Christophe Hansen has condemned the hack, highlighting the need for increased attention to food security.

The weaponisation of food has become a reality, he warned.

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Two supermarkets in the Alsace region have reported significant losses, with a total of €270,000 (£228,000) attributed to the attack. The full extent of the damage is still unclear, with reports suggesting that other major food retailers. This includes Carrefour, E.Leclerc, and Monoprix, were also targeted.

Staff at Coopérative U are working closely with refrigeration specialists to restore the affected stores to normal operation as quickly as possible. The incident has highlighted the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to cyber attacks. And the need for increased vigilance to prevent similar incidents in the future.