Ransomware Attack Targets Major Blood Donation Center

OneBlood: Continuity Amidst Crisis

OneBlood, a leading non-profit blood donation center in Florida that caters to numerous hospitals in the southeastern United States, has fallen victim to a ransomware attack. Despite the cyber assault, the organization is still able to collect, test, and distribute blood, albeit at a significantly reduced capacity. To counter the disruptions, OneBlood has resorted to manual processes and procedures to stay operational. However, these manual methods are more time-consuming and affect inventory availability, as stated by Susan Forbes, OneBlood’s Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications and Public Relations. As a result of the attack, over 250 hospitals that rely on OneBlood have had to activate their critical blood shortage protocols. The full impact of the cyber attack on OneBlood's data centers is still being determined. It remains unclear whether customers' personal information, such as test results, medical histories, and blood types, has been compromised.

Healthcare Sector: A Prime Target for Data Breaches

The attack on OneBlood is not an isolated incident, but part of a larger trend of data breaches targeting the healthcare sector. For instance, a recent data breach at Kaiser Permanente is believed to have impacted approximately 13.4 million individuals. A report released in June by data security firm SecurityScorecard revealed that 34 percent of third-party data breaches in the U.S. in 2023 were aimed at healthcare organizations, far exceeding any other sector.

The Potential Health Impact of the Ransomware Attack

OneBlood provides safe, affordable, and readily available whole blood, platelets, and other blood products to hundreds of hospitals across Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. The disruption of OneBlood’s services could potentially affect the health of thousands of patients throughout the Southeastern United States. “The blood supply cannot be taken for granted,” Forbes emphasized. “The situation we are dealing with is ongoing. If you are eligible to donate, we urge you to please make an appointment to donate as soon as possible.” The situation has become increasingly critical for OneBlood with the onset of Hurricane Debby, a time when the organization needs to speed up its processes. “Manual processes take longer to perform,” Forbes stated. “We felt the impact of this the most when it came to labeling blood for release to hospitals.” Despite the challenges, blood drives are still taking place, donor centers remain open, and OneBlood donors continue to respond to the call for blood donations, according to Forbes.

Call for Blood Donations and Support from Other Blood Centers

OneBlood has highlighted an urgent need for O positive, O negative, and platelet donations. The organization has received substantial support from other blood centers across the country, led by the Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies Task Force. This task force was established to safeguard blood collection efforts in the event of natural disasters or acts of terrorism. To facilitate blood collection efforts, OneBlood’s 81 blood donation centers in 30 Florida counties are open to accept walk-ins. Additionally, the organization’s more than 250 “Big Red Buses” have been dispatched across the state. These buses are often stationed at grocery store and shopping center parking lots, offering coupons, T-shirts, and other merchandise to individuals willing to donate blood and platelets.

Bottom Line

In this digital age, the threat of cyber attacks is a reality that organizations across all sectors must grapple with. The ransomware attack on OneBlood underscores the vulnerability of healthcare organizations and the potential health implications of such breaches. It also highlights the resilience of these organizations and the importance of community support in times of crisis. What are your thoughts on this issue? Share this article with your friends and encourage them to sign up for the Daily Briefing, available every day at 6pm.