This past Monday, the French government made a significant announcement regarding a cyberattack that occurred last month, targeting the country’s refrigeration and freezing systems. The breach resulted in the spoilage of fresh agricultural products at approximately 700 retail and commercial locations. French officials have attributed the attack to Iran and have vowed to implement sanctions against the country.
During a press conference in Paris, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot characterized this incident as the first large-scale cyberattack executed on French soil with the intent to cause disruption. He remarked, “This is an unprecedented and aggressive assault.” Barrot further emphasized the seriousness of the incident by stating, “This constitutes a significant attack on national interests and the safety of the French people.” In light of these events, the French government has summoned the Iranian ambassador and plans to enact retaliatory sanctions on a European level.
The cyberattack, which took place during the night of October 11 to 12, involved hackers remotely connecting to the refrigeration units at these retail and commercial outlets. They manipulated the defrosting cycles in an unusual manner, raising the temperatures within the freezers to over 50 degrees Celsius. This caused extensive damage to large quantities of fresh and frozen agricultural products and, in some instances, led to fires in the refrigeration equipment. Major supermarket chains affected by the attack included Intermarché, Coopérative U, Carrefour, E.Leclerc, and Monoprix, along with various butcheries, slaughterhouses, and food processing facilities.
The concerning news was unveiled by Barrot during a press briefing at the G7 summit held in Paris. He credited the excellence of government agencies for allowing him to confirm that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran is responsible for the attack. He stated that the French administration lodged a strong protest against what he described as an extremely grave act.
As of the deadline for this article, there has been no response from Iranian officials regarding France’s allegations.
The Paris prosecutor’s office has initiated an investigation into the incident, asserting that Iran played a pivotal role in the cyberattack. Evidence presented includes the utilization of the Persian language during the attack and IP addresses linked to equipment located within Iran.
The prosecutor’s office has reported that investigations are underway concerning the leader of the IRGC’s cyber unit, known as Shahid Kaveh, along with two deputy officials and other individuals deemed responsible for the attack. They have also filed for international arrest warrants.
Earlier this month, supermarkets in Sweden, Belgium, and Ireland experienced similar cyberattacks. It remains uncertain whether these incidents are connected to the situation in France, and no organization has claimed responsibility for these related cyber attacks as of yet.