The French authorities believe that state-backed hackers from Iran were responsible for a series of cyberattacks that disabled commercial refrigeration systems across the country, Reuters reports.
This incident is one of the most damaging digital attacks in an ongoing conflict with Iran that began in February, a period marked by various reported cyber disruptions. Similar attacks previously targeted US water supplies in July, ships bound for America in August and Los Angeles’ transport network in March.
The attack on 11 October targeted temperature settings at hundreds of businesses. Cybersecurity specialists suggested that the breach was relatively easy to carry out, noting that many of the affected devices were running old firmware or were outdated models, creating vulnerabilities that intruders could exploit.
The consequences were severe. Some devices overheated to such an extent that they caught fire, while supermarkets were forced to throw away huge quantities of spoiled food, including ice cream and meat. One local business owner suggested that the cumulative financial damage across France could amount to tens of millions of euros.
Following the initial breach, a second wave of attacks hit more than 100 sites across Europe, including Ireland, this month. This later phase even affected blood bank refrigerators in France, forcing blood supplies to be urgently transferred to a secure storage facility.
Given the recurring nature and simplicity of the hacks, experts have debated whether the cause lies in Russian sabotage attempts in Europe, tensions between Washington and Tehran, or the rise of AI-driven cybercrime.
Similar incidents have also occurred in the United States. In August, refrigeration systems failed at several military supermarkets. The Pentagon regards the failures as possible cyberattacks and is working with French investigators to establish the cause.
Although it has not yet been confirmed whether the failures at US military bases are linked to the European incidents, sources indicate that the Pentagon considers Iran the prime suspect in the August attacks. In a recent statement, the Pentagon acknowledged rumours of a cyber incident but declined to provide further details, citing security concerns while the investigation remains ongoing.
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