Several French supermarkets were victims, during the night from Sunday to Monday, of an unprecedented cyberattack targeting their refrigeration installations. At least 300 Intermarché and Netto points of sale, less than a hundred from the Coopérative U network, several E.Leclerc stores and around thirty Monoprix stores are affected by this event revealed by BFMTV and confirmed by the four distributors.
According to BFMTV, the hackers managed to remotely trigger the forced defrosting of refrigerators, freezers and cold rooms in many stores. This situation forces establishments to throw away all affected products in order to respect the cold chain, leading to food waste and financial loss according to Intermarché.
The Paris public prosecutor's office has announced the launch of an investigation on its own initiative into this large-scale cyberattack affecting connected refrigerators throughout France. Directed by the anti-cybercrime section and entrusted to the Anti-cybercrime Office (OFAC), this investigation should make it possible to identify the victims and establish the link with the damage linked to the loss of food.