Cyber attack on OneBlood donation center could leave Florida hospitals short of blood

The non-profit blood donation center that serves much of the southeast said Wednesday it fell victim to a cyber attack, leaving hundreds of hospitals potentially facing shortages.

The ransomware attack hit OneBlood’s software system, forcing it to use “manual processes and procedures to remain operational,” the company said in a statement. Those procedures take longer so the amount of blood and blood products available could fall.

CNN, which first reported the attack, said the problem is impacting the nonprofit’s ability to ship its products to Florida hospitals. That was based on an advisory sent to health care providers by the Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center, a cyberthreat-sharing group, and reviewed by CNN, the network reported..

OneBlood serves more than 250 hospitals in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and North Carolina.

“OneBlood takes the security of our network extremely seriously,” said Susan Forbes, a OneBlood spokeswoman, in a statement. “Our team reacted quickly to assess our systems and began an investigation to confirm the full nature and scope of the event.”

Orlando Health’s hospitals are aware of the issue, said Elizabeth Katona, an Orlando Health spokesperson, in a statement.

“We are working with them to manage the situation so our patients may continue to receive essential blood products,” Katona wrote.

OneBlood asked hospitals to “activate critical blood shortage protocols” and is also asking for donations. Hospitals urgently need O Positive, O Negative and platelet blood donations, the agency said.

OneBlood did not respond immediately to a request for further comment.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.