A significant ransomware attack has targeted major blood donation organizations in the United States, causing disruptions and critical blood shortages.
OneBlood, a nonprofit organization that supplies blood to over 250 hospitals in the Southeastern U.S., was hit by a ransomware attack that severely impacted its IT systems. Although the core blood donation and distribution platforms remained operational, the attack significantly slowed down their processes. In response, OneBlood issued an urgent call for blood donations, especially for platelets and blood types O-positive and O-negative, to mitigate the shortages created by the attack. The organization is still assessing the full scope of the breach and working to restore full functionality to its systems.
Octapharma Plasma, a Swiss-based company operating nearly 200 blood plasma donation centers across the U.S., also faced a ransomware attack, suspected to be carried out by the BlackSuit ransomware gang. This attack forced the shutdown of their donation centers, affecting plasma supplies crucial for their European operations. Octapharma Plasma reported unauthorized activity in its network and has been working with external experts to investigate and address the disruption.
These attacks highlight the increasing vulnerability of healthcare and blood donation services to cybercriminal activities, emphasizing the need for robust cybersecurity measures to protect critical health infrastructure.
