Amid critical shortage, cyberattack prompts blood drive cancellations

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A ransomware attack hit New York Blood Center in January, a nonprofit network of blood banks that includes Memorial Blood Centers in St. Paul.

Ransomware attack forces strained blood banks to cancel drives

The backstory:

A cyberattack on New York Blood Center prompted its divisions nationwide to cancel dozens of donation drives, including two in the metro. A drive scheduled for Monday in Richfield was canceled. In addition, drives in Maple Grove and Duluth were canceled on Friday.

The nonprofit said the ransomware attack, which was discovered on Jan. 26, forced it to take some of its systems offline, adding that it may also need to reschedule appointments. The attack also threatens to slow processing times at its donation centers, the nonprofit said.

Memorial Blood Centers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Why you should care:

Memorial Blood Centers services more than 40 hospitals across Minnesota and western Wisconsin, including virtually every major hospital in the metro. M Health Fairview said Monday that the cyberattack has not impacted its blood supply.

What is a ransomware attack?:

A ransomware attack is a type of cyberattack in which hackers lock up computer systems, requiring payment to make them usable again.

What's next:

New York Blood Center said Monday night that it is recovering from the attack and will move forward with future donation drives. It also said it is working to reschedule canceled appointments.

Cyberattack comes as blood banks face nationwide shortage

The ransomware attack posed yet another challenge to blood banks already facing a dearth of donations nationwide. In January, shortly before the attack, New York Blood Center announced a "blood emergency," citing school breaks and increased travel as reasons for a drop in donations.

In December, Memorial Blood Center held a drive in Edina to solicit donations around the holidays, a time when it said donations typically drop by as much as 20 percent.