Cyberattack affected 700 distribution centers in France — Anadolu Agency
In France, a cyberattack on cooling systems in supermarkets affected about 700 distribution centers, Economy Minister Roland Lescure told parliament. Initial estimates indicated that approximately 500 stores were affected by the attack. As Anadolu Agency reports, the attackers remotely interfered with the equipment and used the defrost function, causing temperatures to rise to around 50°C.
The attack posed a risk to stocks of fresh and frozen products. It affected systems made by Danish manufacturer Danfoss, U.S. company Copeland, and Italian company Dixell. The affected stores disconnected the equipment from the network.
Logistics disruption in the Netherlands
Separately, the Dutch Albert Heijn chain reported the suspension of operations at several distribution centers. The company proactively shut down its systems after an attempted cyberattack. No link has been established between the incidents in France and the Netherlands.
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Dominique Schelcher, head of the French supermarket group Cooperative U, described the attack on refrigeration equipment as unprecedented and very serious. Cybersecurity specialist Kevin Tellier of Synacktiv noted that outdated refrigeration equipment and internet-accessible control interfaces may make retail chains vulnerable.
Risks of centralized management
Raf Pilling, senior director of threat intelligence at Sophos, explained that modern supermarkets depend on equipment suppliers, service companies, remote management platforms, and connected devices. Centralized systems make it possible to manage thousands of devices, but compromising a single platform can spread the consequences of an incident across the entire network.
According to Tellier, Danfoss called some of the affected models outdated and no longer receiving security updates, although they continue to operate. Pilling recommended that retailers verify manufacturer support for refrigeration equipment, limit remote access, update supported systems, and isolate outdated controllers.
