Blood banks in France have been hit by a cyber attack (Image: Getty)
Blood banks in France have been hit by horror cyber attacks just days after supermarket freezers across Europe also came under attack. The latest incident saw hackers target a refrigeration equipment supplier serving three facilities operated by the French Blood Establishment (EFS), where vital blood products and biological samples are kept in cold storage. The attackers reportedly attempted to raise temperature settings from -30C to a staggering 110C, potentially putting supplies used for lifesaving medical treatment at risk. The attack took place on Monday (November 2), with France’s Health Ministry confirming on Wednesday (November 4) that security systems had prevented any damage.
Monitoring alarms detected unusual activity, allowing staff to intervene before blood products or samples were compromised.
The EFS confirmed that no blood supplies had been lost and that there had been no impact on patients.
The affected storage facilities are used to preserve blood products, including plasma intended for transfusions, before they are distributed to healthcare providers.
Following the incident, the organisation secured the affected supplies and disabled external access to its equipment as investigations got underway.
According to reports from Associated Press and Euronews, the cyberattack targeted a refrigeration equipment supplier responsible for systems serving three EFS storage sites, rather than directly targeting the blood service’s own computer network.
The French Blood Establishment (EFS) was caught up in a cyberattack targeting refrigeration systems (Image: Getty)
The EFS said: “No health consequences have been identified and no blood products were lost.”
Blood collection and distribution services have continued without interruption, while France’s national cybersecurity agency and Health Ministry investigate the incident.
The French Health Ministry said the situation was now under control but remained subject to close monitoring.
In a statement reported by Reuters, officials confirmed that the cyberattack had affected monitoring and control systems connected to cold storage rooms at several regional facilities.
The ministry said: “The safety of the blood supplies was preserved thanks to the facilities’ monitoring and alarm systems, as well as precautionary measures immediately implemented.”
Investigators are now examining how the attack was carried out, the circumstances surrounding the incident and which equipment may have been affected.
Hackers targeted refrigeration systems storing vital blood supplies in France. (Image: Getty)
Authorities are also working to establish when the compromised systems can safely be brought back into operation.
The incident follows a series of similar attacks on supermarket refrigeration systems across Europe, which left retailers facing substantial losses after chilled and frozen food was spoiled.
According to Reuters, the latest wave of attacks forced supermarkets in eight European countries to throw away large quantities of food after hackers interfered with refrigeration equipment on Monday.
The disruption came just three weeks after dozens of supermarkets across France were targeted in another wave of cyberattacks.
However, authorities have not established whether the attacks on supermarkets and blood storage facilities are connected.
Investigations remain ongoing to determine who was responsible and the motive behind the latest incident.
