Cybersecurity authorities are currently scrutinizing a video released by the Russian-affiliated hacker collective NoName05716 and Z-Peintest, which claims responsibility for the recent cyberattacks targeting supermarket refrigerators across Europe. The footage was intercepted by the Postal Police and is undergoing detailed analysis, yet its arrival more than three weeks after the first incidents has become a central point of investigation. Investigators are examining the timing, the communication channels used, and the overall reliability of the claim, considering possibilities such as a false flag operation, a decoy video, or a different origin entirely.
The offensive initially manifested on October 12 in France before expanding to Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, Ireland, Portugal, Luxembourg, and Estonia. The attacks reportedly targeted Danfoss, a Danish group that provides digital infrastructure for refrigeration systems. By exploiting stolen access keys from the company, attackers allegedly infiltrated unupdated refrigerator systems without directly breaching the retail chains' networks. This intrusion allowed them to alter temperature parameters up to 50 degrees Celsius, resulting in spoiled food, significant waste, and economic damages that are still being quantified.
Despite the digital signature accompanying the video, investigators caution that such evidence is not definitive proof in the cyber domain. Particular scrutiny is being applied to the initial phase of the sequence in France, with authorities considering that these specific attacks may have a different matrix than the subsequent episodes across other nations. This uncertainty regarding a unified European operation prevents investigators from closing the case based solely on the current claim, leaving open the possibility of a state-sponsored motive for the French incidents.
Sources: Il Sole 24 Ore Italia.