A cyberattack on Oct. 12 disrupted refrigeration at hundreds of French supermarkets, causing refrigerators to defrost and leaving some fresh-food shelves empty, according to the retailers and reports from Névez in western France.
Intermarché said 150 to 200 of its stores were affected, while Cooperative U said nearly 100 of its outlets were targeted. The New York Times reported that hundreds of supermarket refrigeration systems in France were targeted last month. Axios described the incidents as suspected cyberattacks that raised refrigerator and freezer temperatures overnight, spoiling food and risking losses.
The incidents have drawn attention to internet-connected equipment used to operate industrial refrigeration. Axios reported that U.S. supermarkets use similar systems and that the Pentagon is investigating suspected attacks involving refrigeration equipment at six military commissaries.