Hackers targeted frozen plasma intended for patient transfusions at the French Blood Establishment by breaching refrigeration contractor Coolworld and reprogramming freezers in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comte region from -30C to 110C, Le Canard Enchaine reported. An on-call technician detected the temperature rise overnight during the Nov 1 to Nov 2 wave of European refrigeration attacks, and the French Health Ministry confirmed the breach was thwarted with no blood products damaged or transfusions compromised.
The medical breach emerged as the campaign against commercial cooling systems reached 15 European countries, including Germany, Romania, the UK, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy. In Sweden, 23 ICA and seven Coop stores were hit alongside an Axfood warehouse that lost about $300,000 in food, while roughly 75 stores were affected in Belgium across Delhaize, Carrefour, Spar and Ikea.