Hackers Crank French Blood Bank Refrigerators to Boiling Point
Hackers infiltrated France’s national blood bank refrigeration, raising temps to 110 °C and threatening plasma supplies. Policy Wire details blocked attack.
POLICY WIRE — Paris, France — A coordinated cyber intrusion forced the temperature controls of France’s national blood‑storage network to spike to 110 °C, the boiling point of water.
The attack targeted the automated refrigeration system used by the French Blood Establishment (EFS), which normally keeps plasma and blood components at around –30 °C or colder.
Intruders accessed the system through the service provider Coolworld, altered the thermostat settings, and then set the units to the extreme heat level before security teams intervened.
Authorities reported that the breach was halted before any blood products or samples suffered damage, averting a potential public‑health crisis.
Similar refrigerator‑hacking incidents have recently rippled across Europe, affecting both medical facilities and supermarket supply chains.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
