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Blood banks targeted in latest European fridge cyberattacks
French blood banks were affected on Monday by a wider wave of cyberattacks on European refrigeration systems. The French Blood Establishment (EFS) said external providers’ cold storage units were compromised at three of its sites, with settings changed to raise temperatures; the incident did not directly target the EFS.
Monitoring systems alerted staff quickly. Some equipment was brought under control, while other units were taken offline, and the EFS said no blood products or samples were lost; samples were moved to other facilities. The affected units stored blood products before delivery to healthcare providers, biobank samples and frozen plasma, and the EFS is working with France’s cybersecurity agency and health ministry. Similar attacks raised temperatures in fridges at hundreds of supermarkets across France and elsewhere in Europe, risking millions of euros’ worth of food.
In short
- Hackers raised temperatures in cold storage units at three French blood bank sites.
- The EFS said no blood products or samples were lost.
- The attacks are part of a wider European refrigeration breach.
Explained simply
Blood products and biological samples must be kept within safe temperature ranges, so blood services use refrigerated storage before supplies reach hospitals and other healthcare providers. France’s national blood service, the French Blood Establishment, also stores research samples and frozen plasma.
The refrigeration equipment is supplied and managed by outside providers, and its settings can be monitored remotely. If attackers gain access to those systems, they may be able to change temperatures and put stored goods at risk. Similar incidents have affected supermarket refrigeration in several European countries.
Blood services, equipment providers and public authorities all have a role in securing and monitoring these systems. The issue matters because disruption to cold storage could affect supplies for healthcare or research, even when the attack is aimed at a supplier rather than a blood service.
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