Suspected cyberattacks hit supermarket freezers across seven European countries
The gist
Suspected cyberattacks pushed freezer temperatures up at supermarkets in at least seven European countries, spoiling food.
It follows a French attack on about 700 stores, exposing weak refrigeration security.
How it unfolded
- Oct 12, 2026Major French retailers said hundreds of store refrigeration systems were hit by a cyberattack, forcing them to throw out food.
- Oct 13, 2026Freezer temperatures at hundreds of French supermarkets reached as high as 50C (122F), spoiling food and causing fires at several stores; Intermarche, Cooperative U and E Leclerc confirmed the attack.
- Oct 13, 2026The Paris prosecutor's office said its cybercrime unit was investigating the large-scale attack, including spoiled food and reported fires.
Key terms
- Cyber Resilience Act
- An EU regulation setting common cybersecurity standards for products with digital elements, requiring incident reports and security updates.
- operational technology
- Hardware and software that monitors or controls industrial equipment, assets, processes and events, distinct from traditional IT systems.
Source: Wikipedia