Share to ClassroomHackers Make French Supermarket Fridges Very Hot
Hackers took control of fridges and freezers in hundreds of French supermarkets on Sunday night. Some machines got as hot as 50C (122F) . Fresh and frozen food was ruined, and there were small fires. Intermarché said fridges in about 150 of its stores were heated to 50C for six hours, so it threw the food away. Carrefour, Monoprix and other big chains were also hit, and about 400 stores were affected. Paris prosecutors, the lawyers who take criminals to court, have started an investigation.
The hackers attacked software from Danfoss, a company from Denmark. Shops use this software to control the temperature of their fridges over the internet. But if someone finds a weakness in the system, they can control the machines from anywhere. Usually, freezers get a little warm at night for a short time. The hackers made them get hot and stay hot. Danfoss said the machines were old and their software was out of date. Officials have not said who was behind the attack.
Intermarché's boss said losses could reach tens of millions of euros across France in one day. A European official warned that food is now being used as a weapon. One expert said shops in Spain, Germany, Belgium and other countries were also affected. Some stores are now working normally again.
