France promises strong response to supermarket freezer cyberattack attributed to Iran

France suspects Iran of being responsible for a series of supermarket cyberattacks, according to officials. The cyberattack resulted in food waste, fires, and financial losses in October. In response, France's foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot threatened to impose additional EU sanctions on Iran. The French government believes the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was behind the attack, specifically a cyber offensive unit called Shahid Kaveh.

This conclusion was drawn by comparing the pattern of the attack to other hacks by the group. Traces of Farsi were also found in the attack infrastructure. Barrot stated that the attack was unprecedented in scale and aggression, marking the first large-scale cyberattack aimed at sabotage on national territory. He emphasized that those responsible could face further sanctions and that the country would take "any other necessary and proportionate measures" to deter future attacks.

The incident is seen as a significant threat to France's interests and security. France has invited the Iranian ambassador to discuss the matter. Other recent cyberattacks in Europe include a suspected attack on 13 SuperValu stores in Ireland, disruption to France's national blood service, hoax bomb threats at media outlets and airlines, and evacuations and delays at several European airports.