Supermarket fridges heated up in nationwide cyber assault costing thousands and thousands in wasted meals
Supermarket fridges nationwide have been hit in a massive cyber attack as frozen and chilled food was heated up to 50C in an ‘unprecedented’ incident
The attack is estimated to cost the nation millions in lost food
Hundreds of supermarkets have been hit with an “unprecedented” cyber attack causing fridges and freezers to heat up.
Damages could total millions in losses for businesses. Hackers gained control of software which regulates the temperature of fridges and freezers and increased the heat up to a reported 50C causing food to go off.
The attack has been dubbed “extremely serious and unprecedented” by the chief executive of Coopérative U who added that several supermarkets have been hit by the hackers.
The attack impacted more than 100 of the Coopérative U supermarket outlets in France. At least 300 stores from Intermarché and its Netto brand were also affected. Intermarché has stated their fridges had been heated up to 50C for six hours overnight into Monday morning.
Food has been pulled from shelves
The French supermarket chain added they have since thrown away all affected food to avoid wider health risks. Two supermarkets in the Alsace region reported losses of £228,000 (€270,000).
French broadcaster BFMTV has stated the full extent of the hack could cost the nation millions. Supermarket staff at some of the affected stores revealed they were hit with hot air after they opened fridges and freezers on Monday morning. The Paris Prosecutor’s office have revealed they have triggered an investigation into the incident.
Prosecutors have called the attack a “large-scale cyber-attack affecting the refrigerators of several major food retail chains across France”. European Food Commissioner Christophe Hansen has taken to social media to condemn the cyber food attack.
In a statement posted on X Hansen penned: “Food security requires more attention at all levels. Because the weaponisation of food has become a reality.”
Reports have also stated specialist retail and local media said stores from other food giants, including Carrefour, E.Leclerc and Monoprix were also hit in the cyber attack. The full scale of the attack is currently unknown.
The scale of the cyber crime is currently unknown
In a post on X, Coopérative chief executive Dominique Schelcher said staff were “fully mobilised, in co-ordination with refrigeration specialists, to restore the situation as quickly as possible”.
Schelcher has called for an investigation into the hack. He added targeting equipment essential to the French food supply was “unacceptable”. The development comes only days after Asos customers were sent into a panic after the app was hit with a cyber attack. And hackers declared the fashion giant had been “fully compromised”.
The shocking hack occurred before 10am today on October 6. The message sent to customers titled ‘ASOS HACKED’, read: “Dear Asos DPO and IT, we have fully compromised the Snowflake instance. Engage with us, or we will leak it.”
The app notification ended with a link that directed them to a Telegram account, which many on social media say they dare not click on or visit.
