The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran has been accused by France of being responsible for cyberattacks that increased the temperature of store freezers and refrigerators.
The attack was “unprecedented in both its scale and its level of aggression,” according to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, who also stated that those guilty will face consequences “at the European level.”
Iran has not yet addressed Barrot’s accusations.
A cyberattack last month caused freezers and refrigerators in hundreds of French shops to overheat, spoiling frozen and fresh food valued at millions of euros.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Incident | Cyberattacks targeting supermarket refrigeration systems |
| Main Country | France |
| Other Countries | Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, Ireland, Netherlands, Estonia and Finland |
| Reported Attack Date | 11 October |
| Affected Stores | More than 100 Coopérative U stores and around 180 Intermarché and Netto stores |
| Suspected Cyber Unit | Shahid Kaveh |
| Organisation Under Investigation | Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) |
| French Response | Iran's ambassador was summoned to Paris |
| Investigation Status | Authorities are investigating the suspected links |
A cyberattack that targeted freezers and refrigerators also affected dozens of retailers in several other European nations last week. Whether the incidents are connected is unknown.
The attack on France’s supermarkets “marks the first large-scale cyberattack aimed at sabotage on our national territory, and it constitutes a major attack on the nation’s interests and the security of the French people,” according to Barrot.
In response to the event, France would take “any other necessary and proportionate measures” to “deter anyone who might seek to repeat it,” Barrot continued.
France Investigates Iranian Cyber Unit Leaders
The leader of an aggressive cyber unit connected to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and his two subordinates are the subject of an inquiry, the Paris prosecutor said separately on Monday.
The unit was dubbed Shahid Kaveh by Laure Beccuau, who said it was connected to the IRGC’s electronic and cyber center.
A group of hackers known as Shahid Kaveh are said to be directly employed by the Iranian government.
The software that controls the temperature of the refrigeration equipment used in many French supermarkets was taken over by hackers on October 11.
Cyberattacks Disrupt Supermarkets Across Europe
While fewer stores in Sweden, Ireland, the Netherlands, Estonia, and Finland were impacted, supermarkets in Belgium and Luxembourg were.
Additionally, food spoiled in a few US military facilities in August due to strange refrigerator malfunctions. According to Reuters, which cited people familiar with the situation, the occurrences are also being looked at as intentional cyberattacks.
Experts have been guessing about which hacking organizations may be behind the waves of assaults on refrigerators, and Iran is one among the possible candidates.
On Wednesday, two hacktivist organizations with ties to Russia claimed responsibility, but few people took them seriously.
