European cold storage: French blood banks join supermarket hackers

Industrial refrigeration systems connected to the internet are now a primary target for cybercriminals across Europe, with the attacks expanding from retail stores to medical infrastructure. France's national blood service confirmed on Wednesday that its facilities were caught in this wave of intrusions, which have targeted refrigeration units in multiple countries.

The French Blood Establishment, or EFS, stated that it was not the direct target of the cyberattack. Instead, hackers compromised cold storage units operated by outside providers at three of its sites. These facilities are used to prepare and distribute blood products to hospitals and clinics.

The EFS explained that temperature and defrost thresholds were set to excessively high levels by the intruders. The affected units held blood products awaiting delivery, samples destined for biobanks, and frozen plasma used in transfusions and medicinal product manufacturing.

The organization's surveillance systems detected the intrusion quickly. In some cases, equipment was brought back under control without impacting the products inside. In other cases, units were disconnected entirely. The EFS reported that no blood products or samples were lost, and samples were moved to other facilities as a precaution.

The EFS is currently working with the French National Cybersecurity Agency, known as ANSSI, and the Ministry of Health. The agency has stepped up monitoring of its equipment. The French Health Ministry said the situation is under control and under close observation. Officials noted that the safety of blood supplies was preserved due to existing monitoring and alarm systems, along with immediate precautionary measures.

This incident is part of a campaign that has struck hundreds of supermarkets in France, Belgium, Sweden, and Finland. In those retail cases, hackers remotely raised refrigerator temperatures, spoiling food and causing potential losses in the millions of euros. Authorities have not publicly identified the group behind these attacks.

The attacks on the blood service follow similar incidents at retail locations. The EFS said several regional facilities were affected by a cybersecurity incident impacting cold storage room monitoring and control systems. The organization continues to coordinate with government agencies to secure its network.