France confirms a cyberattack on the cold rooms of several blood banks

France's Ministry of Health announced on Wednesday that a cyberattack on Monday 2 November affected "certain monitoring and control systems of the cold rooms" of several regional blood banks, according to Reuters. The ministry says the situation "is now under control".

According to infoLibre, the centres affected are mainly in Burgundy and Franche-Comté, and the cold rooms are managed by an outside company, Coolworld; the IT services of the French Blood Establishment (EFS) were not directly attacked. The EFS monitoring and alarm systems detected the anomalies and the products were moved as a precaution to other facilities, according to the ministry.

The ministry says no health impact has been identified and that blood donation and distribution continue. According to infoLibre, the national cybersecurity agency (ANSSI) and the ministry are coordinating the response. The cold rooms mainly held bags of plasma, stored at 30 degrees below zero; infoLibre reports, citing Le Canard Enchaîné, that one reached +110 degrees, a figure that does not appear in the official statement.

The attack comes to light after the cyberattacks on supermarket refrigeration in a dozen European countries. Neither the ministry nor the sources consulted have said that the incidents are linked or who is behind them. Investigations remain open into the method, the equipment affected and the conditions for putting it back into service, according to Reuters.