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French blood banks are hit by hackers who tried to heat plasma stores in Europe's latest fridge cyber attack

French blood banks are hit by hackers who tried to heat plasma stores in Europe's latest fridge cyber attack
French blood banks are hit by hackers who tried to heat plasma stores in Europe's latest fridge cyber attack

France's national blood service, the EFS, confirmed hackers accessed refrigeration control systems at three cold-storage sites overnight on Monday, pushing temperatures to extremes — with one report citing rooms normally held at -30°C being driven to 110°C. Plasma bags for transfusions and plasma destined for medicines were stored at the targeted sites, which supply more than 1,900 French hospitals. Alarm systems detected the breach in time, and the EFS confirmed no blood products were lost and no health consequences identified. The investigation has been taken up jointly by France's national cybersecurity agency and the Health Ministry.

The blood bank attack follows a wave of fridge hacks across at least 11 European countries, with supermarket refrigerators driven to 50°C, destroying millions of euros of food.

Britain's cybersecurity chief Dr Richard Horne warned that AI is allowing adversaries to 'find and exploit' vulnerabilities 'with ease', and confirmed a 'couple of impacts' within the UK food supply chain.

Experts suspect Russia is co-ordinating the campaign — with security analyst Professor Anthony Glees calling it 'highly likely' Putin is using infrastructure attacks to 'spread mayhem and test our resilience'.

MoreLBCHackers target three blood bank cold storage sites in FranceThe GuardianFrench blood banks hacked in latest cyber-attack on EuropeThe SunBlood banks hit by cyber attacks in France in bid to destroy supplies days after supermarket fridge hack across EuropeDaily MailBlood banks are struck by hackers raising storage temperaturesThe TelegraphHackers hit French national blood bankIrish TimesSuperValu says issues after cyberattack on its fridge systems ‘fully resolved’The IndependentHackers already targeting UK supermarket freezers, cybersecurity chief warnsDaily MailWill your flight be affected by bomb threat delays? Experts weigh inDaily MailCould UK's food chain be hit by the cyber hackers targeting freezers?The TimesBritish organic food retailer hit by fridge cyberattackDaily Mail USRussia is suspected of bomb threat hoaxes that grounded UK planesAOL News UKItaly holds emergency talks as supermarket fridge attacks spread across Europe
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