French fridge hacks could reshape cyber appetite for retailers

By George Abbott Oct 13 (The Insurer) — Recent cyberattacks on French retailers that affected at least 350 supermarkets could prompt underwriters to reassess pricing and risk selection for the sector, even as the wider cyber market remains competitive, insurers and brokers told The Insurer. Hackers reportedly raised fridge and freezer temperatures to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit), forcing retailers to discard fresh and frozen food and highlighting the potential for cyber incidents to generate significant operational losses in the physical world. The attackers targeted software provided by Danish firm Danfoss which allowed retailers to manage their cold units remotely. Danfoss said the impacted units were operating outdated firmware. Underwriters said the attacks are likely to intensify scrutiny of retailers' cyber hygiene, particularly around patch management and operational technology controls. Paul Gooch, deputy departmental head at Tokio Marine Kiln (TMK), said patch management is one of the factors the company uses when assessing risk, although he noted claims are not typically excluded simply because an insured is running outdated software. While recent years hav