France’s national blood service (EFS) reported that hackers accessed control systems at three contractor-run cold stores, raising temperature and defrosting thresholds to levels that could have compromised vital blood products. EFS said its alarm systems allowed technicians to intervene before any products were lost. The attack is part of a wider pattern, with supermarkets and banks across Europe experiencing similar incidents in recent days. Retailers in up to a dozen countries have reported refrigeration failures, and the EU is discussing a coordinated response.
EFS, which supplies blood products to over 1,900 hospitals, moved affected plasma bags and medicines to other sites. France’s cybersecurity agency and health ministry have been alerted, and EFS has increased monitoring of its equipment. Authorities and experts point to the risk of remote access vulnerabilities in commercial refrigeration systems, which can be exploited if software is not patched. No group has claimed responsibility, and the motive remains unclear.
The incident raises concerns for healthcare and other regulated sectors about the cyber risks in their supply chains, especially where critical products depend on third-party storage or logistics. The EU and national agencies are now reviewing resilience measures for essential services. Monitoring and patching of connected devices is a priority.
