A cyberattack hit blood banks in France on Monday. This strike didn’t target information or money. It aimed to destroy the valuable blood plasma stored on site.
How is that possible? The attack targeted internet-connected freezers at three cold storage sites for plasma. These sites belong to the French Blood Establishment (EFS). They usually store plasma at -22° Fahrenheit. Attackers tried to raise those temperatures to 230° Fahrenheit. For blood plasma—which is mostly water—that’s past the boiling point.
Thankfully, monitoring systems detected the rising temperatures. Staff acted quickly.
“No health consequences have been identified, and no blood products were lost,” say blood bank officials.
Blood plasma—not to be confused with the fourth state of matter—is the liquid part of blood. It carries nutrients, red blood cells, and platelets through the body. The plasma stored at the EFS blood banks will be used for transfusions and to help make medicines.
The freezers at these blood banks belong to what tech experts call the “internet of things.” Increasingly, it’s not just computers and phones that connect to the web. Freezers, fridges, cars—almost all new appliances or tools—now come in versions that can access the internet. That can make life more convenient. But like many innovations, the convenience comes with a tradeoff. When everything’s connected to the internet, anything can be the target of a cyberattack—even blood bank freezers.
Is connectivity worth the risk? Should “smart” devices go back to being “dumb” devices? Or should people find new ways to live wisely in an internet-connected world?
Several European supermarkets faced similar attacks in October and early November. Hackers raised the temperatures of refrigerators and freezers, spoiling millions of dollars’ worth of food.
“While most of the disruption was contained within two weeks, work continues to fully restore our normal operations,” says Franz Muller, CEO of Dutch supermarket chain Ahold Delhaize. “As we all recognize, cyber threats are an increasingly harsh reality of doing business today.”
Investigators still work to find the culprits behind these illegal attempts to cause chaos and harm.
For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. — Luke 8:17
