France has laid the blame on Iran's Revolutionary Guards for a wave of cyberattacks that put commercial refrigerators and freezers out of action across the country last month.
asserted
that → lay → country
The hacks that struck hundreds of French supermarkets in early October were among the most disruptive cyberattacks of the Iran war that began in February, a conflict that has been marked by scattered incidents of alleged digital disruption.
asserted
that → strike → disruption
These have included hacks against the Los Angeles transit system in March, against US water treatment plants in July and against ships bound for the United States in August.
asserted
These → include → August
French officials made the accusation on Monday, while at the same time warning that Iran would face consequences.
Jean-Noël Barrot, the French Foreign Minister, said the Iranian ambassador had been summoned to France's foreign ministry.
asserted
ambassador → make → ministry
He also threatened further EU sanctions against Iran.
asserted
He → threaten → Iran
The French announcement came just minutes after Reuters reported that investigators privately suspected Iran of being behind the attacks.
asserted
investigators → come → attacks
Iran's mission to the United Nations did not return messages seeking comment.
asserted
mission → return → comment
Iran routinely denies carrying out malicious cyber operations.
asserted
Iran → deny → operations
The 11 October cyberattack appeared to have been easy to pull off, cybersecurity experts previously told Reuters.
asserted
experts → appear → Reuters
The firm behind many of the stricken units said that several were obsolete or were running outdated firmware, which could have made it easy for hackers to break in.
uncertain
hackers → stricken → firmware
Some refrigerators had the temperature turned up so high they caught fire.
asserted
they → have → fire
In the hours after the hack, supermarket employees carted boxes full of perished meat and melted ice cream into giant trash containers.
asserted
employees → cart → containers
The attack's total costs could add up to tens of millions of euros nationwide, one French supermarket owner estimated.
uncertain
owner → add → euros
The October hacks were followed this month by a second wave of hacking that hit more than 100 establishments across Europe and even affected refrigerators used by French blood banks, prompting employees there to have to move some of the blood to different cold storage units.
asserted
that → follow → units
The seemingly straightforward nature of the refrigerator hacks – and their repetition across multiple countries – prompted speculation about who might be responsible amid ongoing concerns over Russia's suspected sabotage campaign in Europe, the war between the US and Iran and the global rise of AI-powered cyberattacks.
uncertain
who → prompt → cyberattacks
The sabotage of European supermarket fridges was preceded by at least one similar incident in the United States.
asserted
sabotage → precede → States
In August, refrigerators in at least half a dozen military commissaries went out of commission.
asserted
refrigerators → go → commission
Pentagon investigators are treating the malfunctions as a suspected cyberattack and are working with French officials to get to the bottom of what happened, Reuters reported last month.
asserted
Reuters → treat → bottom
Reuters could not independently establish whether there was any link between the refrigeration incidents at US military bases in August, the hacking campaign in France and the more recent wave of refrigeration hacks that struck Europe.
uncertain
that → establish → Europe
A person familiar with the matter said that the Pentagon considers Iran a suspect in the August commissary hacks but that the investigation is still in progress.
asserted
investigation → say → progress
Reuters could not establish how the military made its determination or whether it was also looking into other suspects.
uncertain
it → establish → suspects
That the US military considers Iran a suspect in the commissary sabotage campaign was first reported last month by news website Nextgov.
asserted
Iran → consider → Nextgov
The Pentagon said on Monday that it is "aware of speculation regarding a potential cyber incident" but that military investigators were on the case and it could not offer further comment for security reasons.
uncertain
it → say → reasons
The Aporia
