France accuses Iran's Revolutionary Guards of cyberattacks on supermarket refrigeration
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has accused Iran's Revolutionary Guards of cyberattacks on the refrigeration systems of about 700 supermarkets and summoned Iran's ambassador. France will push for EU sanctions on those responsible.
France has accused Iran's Revolutionary Guards of carrying out cyberattacks on supermarket refrigeration systems and has summoned the Iranian ambassador to lodge a protest. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced this on Monday. The Revolutionary Guards are a branch of Iran's armed forces. France intends to seek European Union (EU) sanctions against those responsible.
Scale of the attack
Barrot recalled that the cyberattacks, which took place overnight from 11 to 12 October, hit roughly 700 French supermarkets. A large quantity of goods was spoiled, and fires broke out.
The minister described the operation as unprecedented in both scale and aggressiveness. In his words, it was the first large-scale cyberattack aimed at sabotage on French territory, and he called it a serious threat to national interests and public safety.
France's response
France will advocate applying EU sanctions to everyone responsible. The minister also pledged further measures to respond to such attacks and to prevent similar ones in the future.
Other countries and earlier incidents
Since mid-October, cyberattacks on the freezing and refrigeration systems of supermarkets and food industry companies have also occurred in other European countries. The attackers raised temperatures remotely, causing food to spoil.
In early November, a French blood bank was also hit by a cyberattack. US media, meanwhile, have reported investigations into several incidents in the United States.
