Nov. 9 (UPI) — French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on Monday blamed Iran’s military for attacks targeting refrigeration systems at hundreds of supermarkets.
He said the French government would summon Iran’s ambassador to France in response. Barrot made the comments in Paris after attending a G7 ministerial meeting, EuroNews and CNN reported.
“This was an attack of unprecedented scale and unprecedented aggressiveness,” he told reporters.
“It represents a major assault on the nation’s interests and on the security of the French people.”
In October, at least 350 supermarkets across France reported that their refrigeration systems had been hacked. Temperatures on the units had been increased, spoiling millions of euros worth of frozen and refrigerated food.
The attack affected stores from Coopérative U, Intermarché and its Netto brand, Carrefour, Monoprix and E. Leclerc. It affected older versions of software provided by Danfoss, a Danish firm.
The software allows stores to manage refrigeration and freezer units remotely. The attack ordered the units to heat to as much 120 degrees Fahrenheit and stay hot.
Earlier this month, another cyberattack targeted the refrigeration systems at supermarkets in Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden and Ireland.
Jill Keppeler contributed to this report.
About the Author
