OTCC Statement on Cyber Attack on French Supermarkets
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, D.C., October 14, 2026 — The recent attacks on the French Food and Agriculture sector that impacted hundreds of grocery stores are another stark reminder of the importance of implementing baseline cybersecurity measures to enhance operational technology (OT) cybersecurity. Earlier this week, malicious cyber actors compromised refrigeration system remote control modules used in French supermarkets, raising refrigerator temperatures and spoiling fresh and frozen goods. On the evening of October 13th, France’s Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI) issued a bulletin detailing the affected systems and methods to mitigate the risk. ANSSI and Danfoss, the operator of the compromised modules, said the affected devices were connected to the internet and no longer receiving software or security updates.
While the French and European authorities have not attributed the attacks, we know what could have been done to reduce the impact of such a consequential incident. ANSSI recommends implementing basic cybersecurity best practices, such as using secure VPNs, changing default passwords, and updating firmware when possible. Unfortunately, the failure to implement cybersecurity fundamentals led to a significant incident.
These are some of the best practices that we called out in our recent report calling for the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to issue a binding operational directive (BOD) to improve OT cybersecurity within the federal government. Such a BOD would send a strong signal to the private sector about what steps to take in their own environments. With that BOD, the U.S. Department of Agriculture could approach the Food and Agriculture critical infrastructure sector and recommend implementing best practices. While no incidents have been reported in the United States, malicious actors are undoubtedly viewing this incident as a potential attack vector to perform here. We cannot wait for that to happen.
The incident is yet another reminder that OT threats are immediate and reach deeply into everyday life. Protecting the systems that preserve our food, deliver our water, and power our communities is essential to public safety and economic security.
About OTCC: The Operational Technology Cybersecurity Coalition (OTCC) is a diverse group of cybersecurity stakeholders dedicated to improving the cybersecurity of operational technology environments and strengthening public policy to secure critical infrastructure. Representing the full OT lifecycle, OTCC advocates for an open, vendor-neutral approach that supports diverse solutions and information sharing without compromising cybersecurity defenses. Learn more at ww.otcybercoalition.org.
Contact: info@otcybercoalition.org
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