Cyberattack hits French blood banks but no samples compromised, officials say

A cyberattack targeted several blood banks in France, attempting to raise temperatures to extremely high levels, but the attack was unsuccessful in damaging blood products or samples, officials confirmed on Tuesday. This incident follows reports in Europe that supermarkets' fridges and freezers overheated after being remotely compromised, leading to significant food spoilage and financial losses.

The French Blood Establishment (EFS) revealed that temperature and defrosting thresholds were increased to dangerously high levels on Monday at three of its cold-storage sites for plasma. The statement from the EFS assured that no health consequences were identified and no blood products were lost. The cyberattack specifically targeted a supplier of refrigeration equipment at three EFS sites.

The stored products included plasma bags for transfusions and plasma used in medicine production, which either remained transferred or were secured.

Monitoring systems promptly identified the anomalies, enabling staff to take immediate action to prevent any compromise of blood products or samples. The EFS emphasized that blood collection and distribution operations are ongoing uninterrupted, fulfilling their service obligations to patients in hospitals and healthcare facilities. Both France’s national cybersecurity agency and the Health Ministry are currently investigating the incident.