Cyber-attacks on medical freezers impact French blood storage
The French Blood Establishment says staff intervened to prevent any loss of blood products after hackers caused temperatures to rise.
Hackers have targeted medical fridges used to store blood donations in France, according to a BBC News report. The French Blood Establishment (EFS) stated that cold rooms were impacted by the cyber-attacks, which caused temperatures to rise, but staff intervened to protect the supplies.
The EFS said that no health impact has been identified and no loss of blood products has been reported. Previously, only supermarkets were known to have been affected by these freezer hacks.
Cyber-security researchers are using digital decoys, known as honeypots, to study the attackers. Ryan Dewhurst of Spanish firm Previdian said the simultaneous targeting of freezers suggests the attacks were planned and coordinated.
While Russian hacktivist groups have claimed responsibility for hacking Danfoss systems, analysts question if they are behind the supermarket attacks. A spokesperson for the French cyber-defence firm Sekoia told the BBC that they have no technical evidence indicating the involvement of Russian-speaking groups.
Sekoia's report suggested the attacks could align with activity from Russian or Iranian actors, though the firm remains sceptical of claims made by the group NoName057. The firm also noted that the attacks could have been carried out by different groups or copycats.
Investigations are ongoing into the controller models used. Authorities in several countries are investigating the hacks and warning supermarkets about potential future attacks.