France's national blood service, the Établissement Français du Sang (EFS), reported a cyberattack that targeted control systems at three of its cold storage facilities. The incident, which occurred overnight on Monday, saw hackers manipulate temperature and defrosting thresholds to "very high levels." The EFS stated that the attack did not directly target its own network but rather a supplier of refrigeration equipment used at the affected sites.
The EFS's monitoring and alarm systems detected the anomalies, allowing technicians to intervene before any blood products or samples were compromised. Plasma bags intended for transfusions and for the manufacture of medicines were stored in the affected facilities. As a precautionary measure, these products were transferred to other locations or secured. The EFS confirmed that no health consequences have been identified and no blood products were lost. Blood collection and distribution operations remain uninterrupted, ensuring continued services for hospitals and healthcare facilities.
This incident is part of a wider wave of cyberattacks affecting refrigeration systems across Europe. Supermarkets in several countries, including Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, have reported similar attacks, resulting in significant food spoilage and financial losses. A previous wave of attacks in France in mid-October also targeted hundreds of supermarkets.
France's national cybersecurity agency (ANSSI) and the Ministry of Health have been alerted and are investigating the incident. The EFS has stated it has strengthened temperature monitoring across all its equipment. The supplier of the affected refrigeration equipment, Coolworld, acknowledged the incident, noting that the vulnerability involved a component from a third-party provider outside of their direct control.