Boston Scientific cyberattack disrupts global operations and customer order processing
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Boston Scientific has disclosed that a cyberattack disrupted its global operations, affecting IT systems and business applications used to process and ship customer orders. The incident matters because it has interrupted a major medical-device supplier’s ability to serve customers, while the full operational and financial consequences remain uncertain.
The company said the attack began on Tuesday and that it engaged external cybersecurity specialists to investigate and contain it. It gave no timetable for restoring systems, did not confirm whether ransomware was involved or whether data was taken, and no group had claimed responsibility at the time of reporting. Its shares fell by more than 4% following the disclosure, amid recent cyber incidents affecting other medtech companies including Stryker and Medtronic.
- Cyberattack disrupted Boston Scientific’s global operations and order processing.
- No restoration timetable or confirmed data theft was disclosed.
- Shares fell more than 4% after the announcement.
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Boston Scientific is a US-based company that makes medical devices used in areas such as heart care, cancer treatment and surgery. It sells equipment and supplies to hospitals and healthcare providers around the world, so its computer systems are important for managing orders, stock and deliveries.
A cyberattack is an attempt to disrupt, damage or gain access to computer systems. Businesses can lose access to key software during an attack, which may delay routine work even while investigators work to contain the problem.
Disruption at a medical-device company can affect hospitals’ ability to obtain products they use to treat patients. The incident also highlights the wider risk to healthcare supply chains, as other large makers of medical technology have faced cyberattacks in recent years.
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Originally published by The Register as “Boston Scientific discloses ‘global disruption’ in ongoing cyberattack”.