by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief
AMSTERDAM/PARIS (Worthy News) – Cyberattacks disrupted refrigeration systems at three regional blood banks in France and supermarkets across Europe, French authorities confirmed Wednesday, raising concerns about the vulnerability of European infrastructure.
The attacks, which occurred overnight between Sunday and Monday, affected equipment used to monitor and control refrigerated storage facilities, potentially threatening blood supplies and forcing supermarkets to discard large quantities of food.
“Several regional facilities of the French Blood Establishment (EFS) were affected by a cybersecurity incident that impacted certain cold storage room monitoring and control systems,” France’s health ministry confirmed.
However, officials stressed that blood supplies remained safe after employees responded to automated alerts and transferred stored blood to unaffected refrigerators.
BLOOD SUPPLIES PROTECTED
“We have staff round the clock since blood can be needed at any time. They were warned about the problems by alerts and moved the blood to other refrigerators that were not connected,” EFS spokesperson Charley Dubois explained.
Around the same time, hackers interfered with refrigeration equipment at supermarkets across Europe. Reports identified affected retailers in at least nine countries: Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden.
The disruptions forced retailers to discard large quantities of food after refrigeration temperatures rose, in some cases reportedly reaching 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit).
The incidents followed a similar cyberattack in France on October 12, when hackers reportedly seized control of cooling systems at hundreds of supermarkets, causing food losses and, according to police, fires.
EUROPEAN CONCERNS
French authorities said Wednesday that the latest situation was under control and that remote access to affected refrigeration systems had been disabled to prevent further interference.
Investigators were working to determine how the attackers gained access, which equipment had been compromised and when normal operations could safely resume.
The incidents have raised wider concerns within the European Union about vulnerabilities in internet-connected infrastructure amid heightened security tensions following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen described the attacks as a deliberate attempt to disrupt the continent’s food supply chain and undermine consumer confidence, although he stressed that European food security was not at risk.
PUBLIC UNPREPARED
The attacks come as cybersecurity experts warn that many businesses and consumers remain inadequately prepared for increasingly sophisticated digital threats, despite their growing dependence on connected technology.
Dutch cybersecurity expert Dave Maasland said the situation could be compared to motorists driving at high speeds without wearing seatbelts: embracing the convenience of modern technology while neglecting safeguards against potentially devastating consequences.
Maasland warned that people often ignore basic digital security precautions despite knowing the risks.
“We know the rules, we know what to do, but we don’t care,” he told Vandaag Inside (Today Inside), a program broadcast by Dutch television channel SBS6. “It’s like driving under the influence of alcohol.”
ESSENTIAL SERVICES
The dangers extend beyond computers and smartphones to hospitals, electricity networks, transportation systems and food storage facilities, where cyber intrusions can cause physical damage and disrupt essential services.
Security specialists have long warned that equipment connected to the internet can provide attackers with additional entry points, particularly when remote-access systems are poorly secured or insufficiently monitored.
The latest attacks also demonstrate how disruptions involving technology suppliers can affect multiple organizations across national borders.
Although French blood supplies were protected through emergency procedures, the incidents underscore the importance of backup systems, cybersecurity training and the ability to operate essential services without internet connectivity.
Authorities have not publicly identified those responsible for the latest attacks or established whether the incidents across Europe were coordinated. The breaches come amid broader concerns about state-sponsored cyber operations, including those attributed to Russia and North Korea.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
