A cyberattack targeting refrigeration systems at French blood storage facilities has raised fresh concerns about the security of internet-connected equipment. The incident affected three cold-storage sites operated by France's national blood service, following a wider wave of attacks that disrupted supermarket refrigerators across several European countries.
The French Blood Establishment (EFS) confirmed that three of its plasma storage sites were affected on November 2. The attackers reportedly manipulated temperature and defrost settings, pushing the programmed thresholds to extremely high levels.
Reports suggest that some refrigeration units were instructed to increase temperatures from approximately -30°C to as high as 110°C. However, the actual temperatures reached inside the storage units remain unclear.
This attack was launched on devices that were provided by Coolworld, a company supplying refrigerated containers for the blood service. Luckily enough, the systems of monitoring and temperature alarms had noticed the abnormal activity.
EFS has assured that none of the blood products or samples has been damaged. All appropriate actions were taken right away, including securing stored plasma. Blood services remained uninterrupted.
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The incident follows a second wave of cyberattacks targeting supermarket refrigeration systems across Europe. Stores in countries including Belgium, Sweden, Luxembourg, Ireland and Estonia reported disruptions after hackers remotely changed freezer and refrigerator settings.
The attacks caused significant food losses, forcing retailers to discard products that were no longer safe to consume. Similar incidents had previously affected hundreds of French supermarket locations. Although the incidents share similarities, authorities have not confirmed whether the blood storage attack and supermarket breaches were connected.
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The attacks have highlighted vulnerabilities in internet-connected industrial equipment. Refrigeration systems increasingly rely on remote monitoring and automated controls, but poorly secured connections can create opportunities for cybercriminals.
France's Health Ministry and national cybersecurity agency are investigating the blood bank incident. Meanwhile, cybersecurity experts have advised businesses to restrict public internet access to refrigeration controllers, install security updates, and review their network protections.