After nearly a month of uncertainty, French authorities reportedly believe they have identified the main suspect behind a major cyberattack targeting supermarket chains across the country. According to French intelligence, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was likely responsible for the attacks that disrupted hundreds of supermarkets. Similar incidents have also been reported this month in other European countries, including Belgium and Sweden.
French media reported on Monday that intelligence services suspect Iran’s regime of orchestrating the cyberattacks that sent refrigeration temperatures spiraling out of control in hundreds of supermarkets. According to information disclosed to the French press, authorities identified evidence pointing to Iranian involvement in the October attack against refrigeration systems belonging to several major retail chains, an incident whose perpetrators had remained unidentified until now.
“French authorities attribute the attack carried out on the night of October 11–12 against several hundred supermarkets and their refrigeration systems to the cyber center of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” a source familiar with the investigation told French media. The cyberattack occurred in October, when refrigeration units in hundreds of supermarkets across France were reportedly forced to temperatures reaching 50°C (122°F), resulting in substantial quantities of food being discarded and significant financial losses for retailers. Similar cyberattacks were also reported this month in other European countries, including Belgium and Sweden, although Iranian involvement in those incidents has not been established.
Last week, French authorities announced that a separate cyberattack had also targeted the country’s blood bank system. The French Health Ministry stated that “several regional facilities of the French blood bank experienced a cybersecurity incident that affected certain monitoring and control systems in refrigeration rooms.” However, the ministry reassured the public that despite the disruption to these systems, the country’s blood supply had not been affected.