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- Hackers have targeted French blood stocks used in medical emergencies
- Attackers tried to raise freezer temperatures from -22F to 230F
- The attack was spotted quickly and no blood had to be destroyed
A few days ago, hackers attacked European supermarket freezers for the second time in weeks, but it’s not just frozen food that has been the target of these malicious operations. Now, threat actors have their eyes on the medical sector, with reports emerging that French blood plasma reserves have been breached by unknown saboteurs.
As reported by Cyberattaque (via Cyber Security News), stores of blood plasma were struck overnight between November 1 and November 2, with freezer temperatures programmed to rocket from -30C to 110C (-22F to 230F). Although it’s unknown whether the freezers actually reached temperatures as high as that, the incident is still a worrying development in what looks like an ongoing strategy against key infrastructure targets.
The campaign targeted Coolworld, which supplies the French Blood Establishment (EFS). The EFS is responsible for collecting, preparing and distributing blood and blood products in France, many of which are used in essential surgeries and medical operations. Cyberattaque noted this meant that “frozen plasma for transfusions was among the potentially endangered products.”
The French Ministry of Health has said that the cyberattack did not result in any serious operational consequences because the temperature spikes were noticed quickly and corrected. What’s not known is how many facilities were affected, how long the disruption lasted and how high the temperature of the freezers actually got. However, there has been no confirmation that any blood stocks had to be destroyed as a result.
Far-reaching effects
In October 2026, Vincent Strubel, the director general of France’s cybersecurity agency (known as ANSSI), issued a prescient warning that refrigeration facilities — including those storing medical resources — could be the target of adversarial attacks. Two weeks after that address, the blood stores were hacked.
Meanwhile, in the UK Richard Horne, CEO of the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), yesterday cautioned that “far too many of our organizations and supply chains rest on weak technology and operational foundations.” Potential targets include “Electricity switching, sluice gates in water facilities, dam operations, manufacturing lines, heating, refrigeration controls,” Horne stated.
At the launch of the NCSC's 'State of the Cyber Nation' report, Horne went on to describe as the UK as being at a 'Sliding Doors moment' for cybersecurity, with its exploitable vulnerabilities being akin to a "digital Leaning Tower of Pisa". "In the coming months, we face a real prospect of an unprecedented rise in the number of cyber incidents," he warned.
As Cyberattaque pointed out, it was not the medical facilities themselves that were compromised, but the third-party maintenance systems that controlled freezer temperatures. That could have far-reaching effects, as any company that provides controller products to different customers potentially puts them all at risk.
While the attempt on the French blood stocks was spotted quickly, the next attack might be able to slip through the net. If that happens, the upshot could be far more serious.
