NHS blood banks and vaccine reserves could be vulnerable to cyberattacks, a UK MP has warned, citing recent incidents in France and across Europe where hackers disrupted refrigeration systems.
Graeme Downie, chair of the Coalition on Secure Technology, has advised hospitals to prioritize security sweeps of their refrigeration units. His warning follows an attack on three French Blood Establishment (EFS) sites, where temperatures in plasma storage facilities were "raised to extremely high levels." Although no health consequences or loss of blood products were reported due to alarm systems, Downie expressed concern that "hostile actors" could target British facilities.
He stated that "connected equipment" in NHS fridges holding blood, vaccines, and medicines could be susceptible to remote tampering via mobile networks. Downie urged NHS trusts to audit their systems and called on the government to establish security standards for connected medical technology.
The incidents in France occurred alongside similar attacks on supermarket refrigeration systems in Sweden, Luxembourg, and Belgium. Retailers such as Ahold Delhaize, Colruyt, ICA, Coop, and IKEA reported significant food spoilage due to rising temperatures. In one instance at an ICA franchise store in Stockholm, freezers reportedly reached 50 degrees Celsius, leading to the disposal of all perishable goods.
These recent events follow a similar attack in France the previous month, where hackers allegedly seized control of cooling units at hundreds of supermarkets, causing fires and substantial food losses. Ahold also reported a cyber-security incident to the police last month.