Blood services continue uninterrupted

The French Blood Establishment (EFS) said the incident at the contractor-run refrigeration provider had caused no health impact and no loss of blood products. According to the agency, collection and distribution operations are running as normal, ensuring continued services for patients at hospitals and other healthcare facilities.

The attack, which authorities say was unsuccessful due to the facilities' alarm systems, targeted three cold stores holding blood samples and plasma.

How the attack on the cold stores unfolded

The refrigeration cyberattack took place on Monday and affected monitoring and control systems at three sites, according to the EFS. Le Canard Enchaîné, which first reported the incident, said the cold stores blood supplies were held in had been programmed to reach 110°C instead of the required -30°C.

• •The incident hit a refrigeration service provider on Monday, affecting three sites
• •The cold stores were programmed for 110°C rather than -30°C
• •Alarm systems responded, and the intervention failed

The office of Health Minister Stéphanie Rist said the monitoring and alarm systems had ensured the safety of the blood supplies.

Other cyberattacks reported the same day

Also on Wednesday, Crédit Mutuel Arkéa said a similar attack had enabled fraudulent transactions to be carried out, but that clients' money was not affected. The bank said in a statement reported by Reuters: "The incident has been contained, operations are resuming, and client assets are not affected."

Ahold Delhaize separately said Wednesday that last month's cyberattack on its stores in the Netherlands, Belgium and the United States would reduce its fourth-quarter sales by up to 250 million euros ($281 million).

Investigations under way

The health ministry said investigations had begun to establish how the incident happened, but gave no indication of who might be behind it. France's national cybersecurity agency is also investigating the incident.