The first significant wave of attacks affected hundreds of supermarkets in France in October. In early November, violations of cooling systems were also reported in Belgium, Estonia, Ireland, Finland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden. According to Reuters, the attacks affected more than 100 outlets in Europe, while the temperature in some devices rose to about 50 degrees Celsius and in some freezers in Sweden to 55 degrees Celsius. Some of the food that could not be guaranteed safety was destroyed.
The attacks also affected cooling devices at France's three facilities where the blood plasma of the national blood service Établissement Français du Sang (EFS) was stored. The attempt to change temperature and defrost settings was noticed in time thanks to monitoring and alarm systems. Staff secured or moved their plasma stock elsewhere; EFS reported no blood products or samples were damaged. Blood collection and distribution were not interrupted.
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued a joint warning with the Cyber Security and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) regarding health, agriculture and transport authorities, industrial cooling systems and cold chain monitoring devices. Officials suggested that control units be separated from the public internet, isolated from corporate networks, installed updates, modified default passwords, and secured remote access. The perpetrators of the attacks, their connection to a common hacker group, and their motivation have not yet been determined.
