Hackers Target Blood Banks in France

French Blood Establishment (EFS) confirmed a cyberattack on refrigeration systems at three of its sites. The incident, which began on Monday, involved unauthorized access to cold storage units used for preserving blood products.

Attackers altered temperature and defrost thresholds to excessively high levels, potentially compromising the integrity of stored blood. However, internal monitoring systems detected the anomaly immediately, preventing any loss of supplies or harm to public health.

The EFS stated that while its core administrative network was not targeted, external contractors managing the cold-chain infrastructure were breached. The hacked systems are critical to France’s healthcare supply chain, including pre-distribution storage, biobank research repositories, and plasma inventories.

Emergency crews responded to the temperature spikes by either restoring control over the cooling systems or disconnecting the units from the network. The French Health Ministry confirmed the situation remains under control and that the national blood inventory is safe.

This incident is part of a broader campaign of cyberattacks targeting refrigeration systems across Europe. Similar attacks have previously disrupted supermarket cooling units in France, Belgium, Sweden, and Finland, causing significant food losses.

The EFS and French Health Ministry emphasized that the rapid response and existing monitoring systems were key to averting a potential crisis. The incident highlights vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure reliant on connected cooling systems.