ALBAWABA - A cyber attack hit hundreds of French supermarkets amid ongoing protests, the attack caused freezers to heat up to 50°C, spoiling food and forcing retailers to dump stock.
The attack hit through the night of October 11th to the early morning hours of the 12th, French supermarkets Intermarché and Coopérative U confirmed their refrigeration systems had been affected.
Coopérative U chief executive Dominique Schelcher described the incident as “unprecedented.”
It looks apocalyptic. It isn't. France, October 12: hackers took control of supermarket refrigerators, raising the temperature to 50°C. Over 500 stores affected (Intermarche, Super U, Carrefour). Cold chain broken, tons of food discarded. Not a shortage. It’s a targeted attack on the food supply chain.
This is the latest in a string of unusual incidents involving smart appliances this year, in February, a man accidentally gained access to thousands of robot vacuums while trying to control his own with a PS5 controller.
Earlier this month, an IT specialist found his parent’s smart coffee machine had used up 1TB of internet data in just 10 days; raising questions and doubts regarding the use of internet connections in everyday appliances.
Intermarché supermarket chain owner Les Mousquetaires said around 150 stores were affected with fridges reaching 50°C for six hours, a spokesperson said the food had been thrown away to avoid health risks.
The Paris prosecutor’s office opened an investigation into the attack and are working to identify affected businesses and establish links as assessment is ongoing.
Pshemaf Choiaqo is a digital marketer with a passion for media, style, and presentation.
He enjoys researching unorthodox and nonconventional subjects almost as much as he enjoys writing about them.
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