Blood banks targeted in latest European fridge cyberattacks

TechPublished Wed, Nov 4 20268:58 AM ESTKey PointsBlood banks have become the latest target of cyberattacks on fridges across Europe, the French Blood Establishment confirmed Wednesday. Cold storage units with blood products were remotely hacked, with temperatures raised excessively. EFS said no blood products were lost and no health impact was identified after alarms detected the anomalies quickly.Close up of the hands of a nurse from the French Blood Establishment holding blood collection tubes intended to receive blood samples during a plasma donation session at the Maison du Don in Saint Brieuc Cotes d Armor Brittany France on July 28, 2026. Helene Rigny | Afp | Getty ImagesFrench blood banks were on Monday affected by the recent wave of cybersecurity attacks on European refrigeration systems, the French Blood Establishment confirmed on Wednesday.The organization said that while it wasn't the direct target of the attack, cold storage units operated by external providers containing the EFS' blood products were compromised across three of its sites, with hackers cranking up temperatures. "Specifically, temperature and defrost thresholds were set to excessively high levels," the EFS said in a statement translated from French to English by CNBC. "These cold storage units—located at EFS preparation and distribution sites—are used to store blood products prior to their delivery to healthcare facilities, as well as samples intended for EFS biobanks."They also stored frozen plasma used for transfusions the manufacturing of medicinal products.The EFS said that its surveillance systems were triggered rapidly, and depending on the situation, affected equipment was either brought under control with no impact on the products or samples, or they were taken offline. No samples or blood products were lost during the attack, with samples quickly transferred to other facilities, the EFS added. The EFS is now coordinating with the French National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI) and the Ministry of Health and has increased monitoring of its equipmentHundreds of supermarkets across France and other European countries, including Belgium, Sweden and Finland, had their fridges remotely hacked and temperatures raised, resulting in potentially millions of euros of spoiled food.