Close to 500 supermarkets across France were hit by a large-scale cyberattack overnight between Sunday and Monday, October 12. Reports describe the operation as unlike anything the retail sector has faced before. Those behind it are believed to be an organised IT crime group. The attackers set their sights specifically on freezer systems that are hooked up to store networks. Striking the refrigeration side of a supermarket is an unusual choice, since failed freezers mean spoiled stock and heavy losses. The overnight timing suggests the perpetrators wanted maximum disruption on the shelves before staff arrived for the morning shift. Stores affected now face the messy job of checking every system linked to their cold chains. French authorities are expected to investigate, and questions about how so many sites could be reached at once are already being asked.