A cyberattack targeting the cooling systems of three plasma storage facilities belonging to France's national blood service was prevented before any blood products were damaged.

France's Blood Establishment (EFS) said in a statement on Tuesday that the attack took place on Monday and targeted cooling systems at three plasma storage facilities operated by the institution.

The attack attempted to manipulate temperature settings and defrost thresholds of the systems by raising them to extremely high levels, according to the statement.

EFS said the cyberattack targeted a supplier responsible for cooling equipment at the three facilities rather than directly affecting the blood products stored there.

The facilities contained plasma bags reserved for blood transfusions as well as plasma products used in the production of medicines.

The monitoring and alarm systems detected abnormal activity at an early stage, allowing staff to intervene quickly and prevent damage to blood products and samples.

EFS confirmed that no blood products were lost in the incident and that no threat to public health had been identified.

The institution also stated that blood donation collection and distribution activities continued without interruption, with no disruption reported in services provided to hospitals and other healthcare facilities.

France's National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI) and the Ministry of Health have launched investigations into the incident.

The cyberattack comes after similar incidents targeting remotely controlled refrigeration and freezing systems at supermarkets in several European countries.

Those attacks reportedly caused large quantities of food products to spoil and resulted in millions of euros in financial losses.

Authorities have not confirmed whether the incidents are connected, but the attacks have increased concerns over the security of digitally controlled cooling systems used in critical sectors.(ILKHA)