NATIONAL (WDNews) – OneBlood, the nonprofit blood donation center serving more than 350 hospitals across Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas, has been hit by a cyberattack that is severely impacting its operations. The Orlando-based organization announced the breach on Wednesday, which CNN first reported. The attack targeted OneBlood’s software system and is being investigated as a ransomware event.
OneBlood is collaborating with cybersecurity specialists and federal, state, and local authorities in a comprehensive response to the breach. Despite the ongoing collection, testing, and distribution of blood, the organization is operating at a significantly reduced capacity.
“OneBlood takes the security of our network extremely seriously. Our team reacted quickly to assess our systems and began an investigation to confirm the full nature and scope of the event,” said Susan Forbes, Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications and Public Relations at OneBlood. “Our comprehensive response efforts are ongoing and we are working diligently to restore full functionality to our systems as expeditiously as possible.”
Currently, OneBlood is conducting normal operations manually, which significantly slows down the process. This has resulted in a reduced inventory available for distribution, prompting OneBlood to urge more people to donate blood. Forbes emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “The blood supply cannot be taken for granted. If you are eligible to donate, we urge you to please make an appointment to donate as soon as possible.”
OneBlood is also partnering with blood centers across the country and a national disaster task force to receive additional blood, platelets, and other blood products. They are calling for donations from all blood types, with a particular need for O Positive, O Negative, and platelets.
This cyberattack highlights the increasing frequency of ransomware attacks targeting health and medical institutions. Recently, a similar attack in the U.K. severely impacted the supply of O-type blood.
