Cybercriminals attempted to raise storage temperatures to dangerous levels at three French Blood Establishment (EFS) sites on Monday, the organization reported Tuesday. The attack targeted the cold-storage facilities for plasma, which is used for transfusions and the manufacturing of medicines.
According to the EFS, "temperature and defrosting thresholds were raised to extremely high levels." However, the organization stated that "no health consequences have been identified, and no blood products were lost." Monitoring and alarm systems at the affected sites detected the temperature anomalies, allowing staff to intervene and secure the blood stocks.
France's national cybersecurity agency and the Ministry of Health are now investigating the incident. The EFS has indicated that blood collection and distribution operations have continued without interruption, ensuring ongoing services for patients.
This incident follows a series of similar cyberattacks in Europe this week, where hackers remotely compromised refrigeration units in supermarkets, leading to significant food spoilage. Stores across several European countries, including Belgium, Luxembourg, and Sweden, reported their freezers and refrigerators warming up, resulting in millions of euros in losses due to spoiled products. This marks the latest in a pattern of cyber incidents affecting European businesses, with similar attacks reported in France last month.