Hackers targeted the cold storage room monitoring and control systems at three regional blood banks in France, attempting to raise freezer temperatures to destructive levels. The cyberattack aimed to increase temperatures from negative 22 degrees Fahrenheit to 230 degrees Fahrenheit, a move that could have ruined life-saving blood supplies.
Health officials confirmed the attacks on Wednesday, noting that swift action by on-site staff prevented the loss of blood. "We have staff round the clock since blood can be needed at any time," said Charley Dubois, a spokesperson for the French Blood Establishment (EFS). "They were warned about the problems by alerts and moved the blood to other refrigerators that were not connected."
The incidents at the blood banks occurred in parallel with a broader cyberattack that affected refrigerators at supermarkets across eight European countries, including retailers in Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Estonia. In those cases, hackers manipulated freezer units, causing groceries to spoil.
This marks the second major cyberattack on cold storage units in Europe within a week. Previously, hundreds of supermarket fridges in France were targeted, leading to fires and significant food spoilage. The Pentagon also reported a freezer malfunction at six military bases in August, which is being treated as a potential cyberattack.
Authorities have disabled remote access to the affected refrigerator systems at the French blood banks, and investigations are ongoing to determine how the hackers gained access and when the systems can be safely brought back online. The series of attacks has heightened concerns within the European Union regarding infrastructure vulnerabilities, particularly amid a rise in suspected sabotage incidents.