- A cyberattack has disrupted operations at hundreds of supermarkets in France.
- Retailers are counting the cost of widespread refrigeration failures.
- Investigators are examining vulnerabilities in equipment used to preserve food supplies.
More than 400 supermarkets in France were affected by a cyberattack that forced refrigeration systems to heat up to 50°C, destroying fresh and frozen food and exposing vulnerabilities in equipment used to preserve food supplies.
The attack, which came to light on October 12, 2026, affected major retail chains, including Carrefour, Intermarché, Coopérative U, Monoprix and E.Leclerc. Some stores reported fires alongside the refrigeration failures.
Intermarché reported that around 150 of its stores were affected, while Carrefour confirmed disruptions at 80 outlets. Monoprix said about five per cent of its stores had been hit. Coopérative U also reported attacks affecting nearly 100 outlets. The varying figures mean the final number of affected supermarkets remains unclear.
READ:
Intermarché chief executive Thierry Cotillard told French broadcaster BFM TV that the losses could reach tens of millions of euros nationwide in a single day. Affected retailers discarded food to prevent potentially unsafe products from reaching consumers.
Investigators suspect vulnerabilities in refrigeration control systems supplied by Danish engineering company Danfoss. The company said affected equipment was running outdated firmware and reiterated the importance of installing updates and migrating older systems to current-generation solutions. The attackers have not been publicly identified.
France’s National Cybersecurity Agency has been tasked with investigating the incident, while authorities are coordinating with European counterparts to assess whether businesses in other countries may also be at risk.
By Khayoyo Ian
Get more stories from our website: Sacco Review.
For comments and clarifications, write to: Saccoreview@
Kindly follow us via our social media pages on Facebook: Sacco Review Newspaper for timely updates
Stay ahead of the pack! Grab the latest Sacco Review newspaper!
