The French government has confirmed that several blood banks were targeted by a Cyberattack last Monday. Regional centers managed by the public organization responsible for blood donations suffered an intrusion not into their own internal systems, but into those of Coolworld, the company supplying their refrigeration equipment. According to French authorities, attackers attempted to remotely increase the temperature and defrosting thresholds of cold storage units at three facilities where plasma is kept.
The objective of the attack was to raise the temperature inside these chambers from -30°C to 110°C, endangering frozen samples and plasma intended for transfusions. Fortunately, the incident was detected in time. The French government stated that no blood products were lost, no health consequences have been identified, and blood extraction and distribution continue to operate normally.
The French National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI) and the Ministry of Health are currently investigating the incident. At this stage, it remains unknown who is behind the attack or how they accessed the supplier's systems. The method used is extremely similar to recent attacks against refrigeration facilities in dozens of supermarkets across at least seven European countries. However, this specific target represents a much more delicate infrastructure for French citizens.
Unlike most cyberattacks on the healthcare sector, which typically aim to steal data or demand ransom, this operation was directed at physically damaging vital reserves.
Sources: El País Tecnología.