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# French supermarket fridge hack leaves retailers facing a cover gap
- URL: https://thecoverwire.com/french-supermarket-fridge-hack-cyber-insurance-gap/
- Published: 2026-10-15T08:15:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-02T11:34:57.000Z
- Description: Hackers heated fridges to 50C at about 350 stores, and brokers told Reuters cyber policies rarely pay for spoiled stock.
- Author: CoverWire
- Tags: Cyber, #desk-risk

Hackers took control of refrigeration at about 350 French supermarkets, exposing a gap between cyber and property cover that could leave retailers carrying physical losses, Reuters reported.

The attackers, whose identity is unknown, raised the temperature of internet-connected fridges and freezers to 50C on the night of 11 October. Thierry Cotillard, president of Intermarché owner Les Mousquetaires, estimated the total cost could reach tens of millions of euros nationwide.

Intermarché told AFP that its insurance did not cover this type of incident, Reuters reported on 15 October. Four brokers told Reuters that cyber insurance does not typically cover physical loss.

Cyber policies may cover costs such as internal investigations or public relations advisers. The spoiled stock itself can sit outside that protection.

Lockton said on 13 October that nearly all property policies exclude cyber-related losses, while traditional cyber policies often exclude physical damage. That can leave spoilage losses in between.

The affected fridges used software from Danfoss, Copeland and Dixell, France's cybersecurity agency said. Danfoss said many units ran out-of-date software or had reached end of life. The four brokers said claims could be affected if supermarkets lacked the latest software updates.

Emma Pleut, head of cyber for France at WTW, told Reuters that a company would typically declare its software update policy. Paul Gooch, deputy departmental head at Tokio Marine Kiln, said outdated software is not usually in itself a reason to reject a claim.

An unnamed cyber underwriter told Reuters that claims could become more complicated if a state actor were responsible, because cyber policies typically exclude acts of war. The attackers have not been identified.

David Molony, head of cyber and financial sponsors at Aon, said Aon had advised large retailers to buy cover that extends to perishable stock, and had recently arranged high-value towers in the London market that include it.

"Given the increasing digitisation of operational technology and connected systems, this is an area that businesses should review carefully," Molony said.

Asked whether European retailers could face higher cyber prices, Sydonie Williams, head of international cyber risks at Beazley, said: "I absolutely think that could happen."

Lockton said specialist cyber property damage and spoilage cover is available up to a limit of £650m.

Lockton said the exposure extends beyond food retail to pharmaceutical manufacturing, life sciences, healthcare, chemicals and hospitality.

Molony said retailers are increasingly seeking cyber cover for physical damage, which is already used in energy, marine cargo and defence. Gooch expects more attention on products designed for physical losses caused by attacks.

Cyber insurer Coalition found 1,506 internet addresses exposing Danfoss StoreView refrigeration panels in a scan from 7 September to 6 October, 820 of them on French networks, [Insurance Edge reported on 16 October](https://insurance-edge.net/2026/10/16/cyber-before-the-fridges-heated-up-warning-signs-were-visible/?ref=thecoverwire.com). Coalition said its findings established neither prior compromise of those devices nor that they belonged to the affected stores.

Howden estimated that cyber attacks caused more than €300bn of economic losses in France, Germany, Italy and Spain from 2020 to 2025.

Related coverage: [Brit adds cyber to Acturis Package for brokers at commercial renewal](https://thecoverwire.com/brit-cyber-launches-on-acturis-package/) and [Old Mutual says provider error may have exposed customer phone numbers](https://thecoverwire.com/old-mutual-provider-configuration-error-customer-data/).

## Sources

- [Reuters via Yahoo Finance: French supermarkets' cyber insurance unlikely to cover food losses, insurers say](https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/french-supermarkets-cyber-insurance-unlikely-131704807.html?ref=thecoverwire.com)
- [Lockton: French supermarket cyber-attack highlights the importance of spoilage coverage](https://global.lockton.com/eu/en/news-insights/french-supermarket-cyber-attack-highlights-the-importance-of-spoilage-coverage?ref=thecoverwire.com)
- [The Guardian: Hackers force French supermarket fridges to heat up to 50C](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/12/cyber-attack-defrosts-refrigerators-france-supermarket-chains-intermarche-cooperative-u?ref=thecoverwire.com)
- [Insurance Edge: Before the fridges heated up, warning signs were visible](https://insurance-edge.net/2026/10/16/cyber-before-the-fridges-heated-up-warning-signs-were-visible/?ref=thecoverwire.com)