Two cyberattacks within a single week show how vulnerable everyday infrastructure has become. In both cases, the attackers may have gained access through weak passwords.
France: Freezers Turned into Ovens
Overnight on 11–12 October 2026, hackers remotely switched the refrigeration systems of hundreds of French supermarkets into defrost mode and heated them to as much as 50 °C. Intermarché and Carrefour were among those affected. Goods had to be thrown away, and some stores reported fires. The hackers presumably got in through networked refrigeration controllers made by Danfoss. Some of these controllers could be reached over the internet, and their admin interface was protected only by a simple default password.
Denmark: 8.8 Million Records via Legitimate Access
Names, addresses and personal identification numbers of around 8.8 million people were leaked from Denmark’s central population register, CPR, the Danish government announced in early October. The cybercriminals used the legitimate access of an IT service provider. In Denmark, the CPR number is the key to public authorities, healthcare, banking and taxes. Once it is exposed, the risk of identity fraud rises considerably.
How ePrivacy Supports You
Both cases follow the same pattern: the attackers went for the weakest link. The good news is that such gaps can be found and closed before anyone exploits them. Here’s how we help:
- Penetration tests and security assessments uncover vulnerabilities in infrastructure, interfaces and IoT devices before attackers do.
- An external Information Security Officer (ISO) and ISMS provide risk analyses, security policies and ongoing oversight.
- NIS2 consulting guides you from the applicability assessment through to supply chain security.
- IT forensics and incident response help in an emergency, from containment to reporting to the authorities.
Arrange a no-obligation consultation. Under certain conditions, the consultation can be subsidised by BAFA, Germany’s Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control.