Cyberattacks on supermarket refrigeration: after France, a new wave in Europe
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- On 1–2 November, attacks that raised the temperature of refrigeration equipment hit several dozen supermarkets in Europe.
- The targets are said to be internet-connected control units made by Danfoss that no longer receive updates.
- The culprits, and the number of stores affected in each country, are not yet known.
In this article
What happened
According to France 24, several dozen supermarkets in Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden and Estonia were hit between Sunday evening, 1 November, and Monday morning, 2 November. TechCrunch lists Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg and Sweden: the list of countries differs slightly between outlets. The method is said to be the same as in the October attack in France. In Estonia, the temperature of refrigeration units was reportedly raised to 50°C.
The equipment targeted
According to France 24 and TechCrunch, the systems involved are internet-connected refrigeration controls made by Denmark’s Danfoss. Danfoss told AFP that most of the equipment affected in France was old and no longer received software or security updates. In Sweden, Coop says six of its roughly 800 stores were hit, running on a 4G mobile network rather than an updated 5G one; ICA says its affected stores were connected to an external refrigeration control system.
How the attackers got in
Experts stress that these interfaces should have stayed on closed networks but were exposed on the internet. Two avenues are suggested: exploiting a technical flaw or using stolen credentials. The head of ANSSI, Vincent Strubel, described the October attack in France as made possible by basic failures: direct exposure to the internet and weak passwords. According to franceinfo, the equipment attacked in France was listed in online directories and guessing the password was enough.
What remains unknown
No group has claimed the attacks; the identity, motive and location of those responsible are not known. The number of stores hit per country is not detailed (only “several dozen” in total) and the quantity of food lost is unknown. TechCrunch mentions a Pentagon investigation into a possible hack of freezers at US bases by Iran-linked actors, without establishing a link to the European attacks.
Learn the grammar
French grammar
Learn sentence patterns and usage from the article’s own sentences.
01The present indicative
est / sont + attribute (noun, adjective, prepositional phrase)
Le nombre de magasins touchés par pays n’est pas détaillé (seulement « plusieurs dizaines » au total) et la quantité de nourriture perdue est inconnue.Key pointsÊtre in the present is est for a singular subject and sont for a plural one. It describes nature, state or place (“is”, “is located”). If what follows (the attribute) is a noun, adjective or prepositional phrase, it is not a passive. If a past participle follows, it is a passive (est annoncé). Headlines and summaries often use the present to describe the current situation.
02The passé composé
present of avoir + past participle
Plusieurs dizaines de supermarchés européens ont vu leurs installations frigorifiques piratées dans la nuit du 1er au 2 novembre.Key pointsThe passé composé is the most common past tense, used for “did” and “has done” — actions completed in the past. It is formed with the auxiliary avoir (a / ont…) in the present + a past participle. Past participles of -er verbs end in -é (annoncer → annoncé); learn the irregular ones (faire → fait, prendre → pris, voir → vu). In the negative, ne … pas wraps the auxiliary (n’a pas annoncé). In the news it reports facts that have already happened, such as “announced” or “voted”.
03The imparfait
stem (nous form of the present) + -ais / -ait / -ions / -iez / -aient
Danfoss a indiqué à l’AFP que la plupart des équipements touchés en France étaient anciens et ne recevaient plus de mises à jour logicielles ni de sécurité.Key pointsThe imparfait describes states, background, habits and actions in progress in the past (il était, elle avait, ils pensaient). Take the nous form of the present, drop -ons, and add -ais / -ais / -ait / -ions / -iez / -aient. If the passé composé gives “the event itself”, the imparfait paints “the situation at the time”.
04The present conditional
stem (infinitive) + -ais / -ait / -ions / -iez / -aient
Le mode opératoire serait le même que lors de l’attaque d’octobre en France.Key pointsThe conditional expresses possibility, supposition, unconfirmed information and polite requests (“would”, “might”). It uses the same stem as the future and the same endings as the imparfait (-ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient): pouvoir → il pourrait. In the news it is used to avoid asserting, as in “is reported to…” or “there is a possibility…”.
05The passive voice in the present
être (est / sont) + past participle (+ par / de)
En Suède, Coop dit avoir eu six magasins touchés sur environ 800, fonctionnant sur un réseau mobile 4G et non sur un 5G mis à jour ; ICA précise que ses magasins touchés étaient reliés à un système de contrôle frigorifique externe.Key pointsThe passive means “is done” or “is being done”. It is formed with être + past participle, which agrees with the subject in gender and number (la mesure est adoptée / les mesures sont adoptées). The agent is introduced by par (or de). In the news it is common when the event, rather than the actor, is the focus (est prévu / est annoncé / est connu).
06The passive in the passé composé
a / ont été + past participle
Selon France 24, plusieurs dizaines de supermarchés de Belgique, du Luxembourg, de Suède et d’Estonie ont été touchés entre dimanche 1er novembre au soir et lundi 2 novembre au matin.Key pointsThe past passive means “was done”. Its form is present of avoir + été (past participle of être) + past participle. Été does not change, but the last participle agrees with the subject in gender and number (la loi a été votée / les textes ont été votés). It is frequent in news reporting results such as votes, decisions and announcements.
07Negation and its scope
ne / n’ … pas · ne … plus
Danfoss a indiqué à l’AFP que la plupart des équipements touchés en France étaient anciens et ne recevaient plus de mises à jour logicielles ni de sécurité.Key pointsNormally ne and pas wrap the verb. Before a vowel, ne becomes n’. Check which part of the sentence the negation covers. Ne … plus means “no longer”.
08Citing a source with selon
selon + noun / organisation
Selon France 24, plusieurs dizaines de supermarchés de Belgique, du Luxembourg, de Suède et d’Estonie ont été touchés entre dimanche 1er novembre au soir et lundi 2 novembre au matin.Key pointsSelon means “according to”. Put a person or organisation after it as the source. It separates facts the writer checked directly from what another body or report said. Citing a source does not turn a forecast into an accomplished fact.
09The subject relative pronoun qui
noun + qui + verb
Ce que l’on sait, et ce qui reste inconnu.Key pointsQui continues a description of the person or thing just mentioned (“the one that does…”). Because qui is itself the subject of the next verb, do not repeat the subject. The verb agrees with the noun qui refers to.
10Dates and their prepositions
le + 日付 / du … au …
Plusieurs dizaines de supermarchés européens ont vu leurs installations frigorifiques piratées dans la nuit du 1er au 2 novembre.Key pointsLe 15 octobre means “on 15 October”. Distinguish the le before a date from the le that marks a weekly habit like a weekday. Du is de + le and au is à + le, so decide the meaning from the verb and period expressions around them. Their role depends on the group: a range of dates, the date of a bulletin or another complement.
11Marking an opposition or a reservation
mais / cependant / toutefois / en revanche
Les experts soulignent que ces interfaces auraient dû rester sur des réseaux fermés mais étaient exposées sur internet.Key pointsThese continue with something that contrasts with the preceding content, or a reservation to note. Mais is the widely usable “but” and en revanche stresses the contrast. After the connector, information may come that corrects the first impression.
Japanese grammar
Understand the structure and usage from the text.
01Citing a source: によると
noun + によると
France 24によると、11月1日（日）の夜から2日（月）の朝にかけて、ベルギー、ルクセンブルク、スウェーデン、エストニアの数十店のスーパーが被害を受けました。Key pointsAs in “LCPによると”, it shows where the information comes from. What that source reported follows. It is used differently from “私にとって”, which gives one’s own opinion.
02Expressing a possibility
〜可能性がある / 〜かもしれない
可能性として、技術的な弱点を突いた、または盗まれたログイン情報を使ったという二つが挙げられています。Key pointsThese forms say something may happen. Even when “possibility” is written, it does not mean it will certainly happen. Check whose forecast it is, plus the time and conditions.
03Cause or purpose with ため
〜ため / 〜ために
犯行の声明は出ておらず、誰が、何のために行ったかは、確認できていません。Key pointsため is used for both reason and purpose. “成立ではないため” is a reason and “運転手を守るため” a purpose. Decide from the whole sentence whether what precedes is a cause or a goal.
04Giving examples with など
noun / expression + など
11月1日から2日にかけて、ベルギーやスウェーデンなどのスーパーで、冷蔵設備の温度が上げられる被害が出ました。Key points“暴言など” gives “abusive language” as one example. It is not necessarily a closed list of only the things named. It also helps when reading the scope of a news story.
05The polite past ました
verb stem (連用形) + ました
Danfossは、AFPに対し、フランスで被害を受けた機器の大半は古く、ソフトウェアや安全性の更新がもう提供されていないと説明しました。Key pointsIn “発表しました”, ました makes a verb polite past. The negative is “ませんでした”. Read the actual date together with the date and time in the text.
06Quoting with と: content and report
plain-form sentence + と + verbe de parole (報じる, 説明する…)
方法は、10月にフランスで起きた攻撃と同じだとされています。Key pointsと takes the content that is reported or explained. In “改定する方針だと報じました”, “改定する方針だ” is what the report said. Separating the content from who said it and how makes long sentences easier to read.