A cyberattack on several French blood banks attempted to raise temperatures to extremely high levels, but was detected and stopped before causing damage to blood products or samples, according to French authorities.
What happened
The French Blood Establishment, or EFS, reported that the cyberattack targeted three of its cold-storage sites for plasma, trying to raise temperatures from -22 Fahrenheit to as high as 230 F. However, monitoring systems quickly detected the problem, allowing staff to take action and prevent any damage to the blood products or samples.
The EFS stated that no health consequences have been identified and no blood products were lost. The company supplying the refrigeration equipment, Coolworld, said it was aware of the cybersecurity incident and was taking appropriate measures.
The incident comes after supermarkets across Europe reported that their fridges and freezers were remotely taken over by hackers, resulting in tons of spoiled food and millions of dollars in losses. France's national cybersecurity agency and the Health Ministry are investigating the incident, but have not indicated who might be behind the cyberattack.
