French Officials Blame Iran for Cyberattacks on Commercial Refrigerators
French authorities suspect state-backed Iranian hackers are behind cyberattacks that disabled commercial refrigeration units across France last month, prompting a diplomatic reprimand and threats of sanctions.
French authorities suspect state-backed Iranian hackers orchestrated last month's cyberattacks that disabled commercial refrigerators and freezers across France, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday.
French Foreign Minister François Baroin summoned the Iranian ambassador to the Quai d'Orsay for a reprimand, warning of serious consequences for Tehran and announcing that France will impose sanctions on the country.
The suspected operation marks one of the most disruptive cyberattacks in the shadow conflict with Iran that erupted in February, a confrontation previously characterized by sporadic digital disruptions. These included incidents targeting the Los Angeles transportation system in March, US water treatment facilities in July, and cargo ships bound for the United States in August.
The French Foreign Ministry and the Paris prosecutor's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Iran's mission to the United Nations also did not reply to messages seeking comment. Tehran routinely denies involvement in malicious cyber operations.
The October 11 cyberattack, which disabled temperature controls in commercial refrigeration units at hundreds of businesses, was relatively straightforward to execute, cybersecurity experts previously told Reuters. The company behind many of the affected units stated that some of the hardware ran outdated firmware, which may have facilitated the breach.
