Boston Scientific, one of the world’s leading medical device manufacturers, has suffered a cyberattack that has caused a disruption of its operations on a global scale, particularly affecting the systems used to process and ship orders to customers.
The company detected the intrusion this Tuesday, the 25th, and reported to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) the following day that the incident had caused a network outage and limited access to certain computer systems and business applications.
Upon becoming aware of the unauthorized access, the American company activated its cybersecurity incident response protocols and enlisted external specialists to investigate the occurrence, contain the threat, and assist in the recovery of the affected systems.
Boston Scientific, which produces devices such as pacemakers, stents, and other equipment used in various medical specialties, has not yet determined the full extent of the incident or its financial impact. The company has also not established a date for the full recovery of its systems.
This incident poses a potential problem for the healthcare supply chain. The firm markets devices that may be necessary for medical and surgical procedures, so a prolonged disruption of its order and logistics systems could end up causing delays in healthcare centers that depend on its products.
“The incident has caused, and is expected to continue to cause, disruptions and limitations in access to certain information systems and commercial applications of the company that support aspects of its operations, including the ability to process and ship customer orders,” states the document filed with the SEC by Boston Scientific.
The company recorded net sales of $5.4 billion during the second quarter, which gives an idea of the scale of its operations and the number of orders processed through its systems.
The investigation remains open, and the medical device manufacturer has not yet clarified how the cybercriminals managed to access its infrastructure. It has also not confirmed whether any data extraction occurred, how many systems were compromised, or if any information was encrypted.
Is Iran behind the attack?
In recent hours, information and posts on social media have pointed to possible actors linked to Iran, particularly the group known as Handala.
However, these claims have not been confirmed by Boston Scientific and do not yet constitute an independent and conclusive attribution of the attack.
In March, the American medical technology manufacturer Stryker also suffered an attack that caused a significant disruption of its systems. Handala claimed responsibility for that operation, and investigators linked the incident to an Iranian actor. The attack had consequences on Stryker’s operations and indirectly affected hospitals and healthcare centers.
Boston Scientific, one of the world’s leading medical device manufacturers, has suffered a cyberattack that has caused a disruption of its operations on a global scale, particularly affecting the systems used to process and ship orders to customers.
The company detected the intrusion this Tuesday, the 25th, and reported to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) the following day that the incident had caused a network outage and limited access to certain computer systems and business applications.
Upon becoming aware of the unauthorized access, the American company activated its cybersecurity incident response protocols and enlisted external specialists to investigate the occurrence, contain the threat, and assist in the recovery of the affected systems.
Boston Scientific, which produces devices such as pacemakers, stents, and other equipment used in various medical specialties, has not yet determined the full extent of the incident or its financial impact. The company has also not established a date for the full recovery of its systems.
This incident poses a potential problem for the healthcare supply chain. The firm markets devices that may be necessary for medical and surgical procedures, so a prolonged disruption of its order and logistics systems could end up causing delays in healthcare centers that depend on its products.
“The incident has caused, and is expected to continue to cause, disruptions and limitations in access to certain information systems and commercial applications of the company that support aspects of its operations, including the ability to process and ship customer orders,” states the document filed with the SEC by Boston Scientific.
The company recorded net sales of $5.4 billion during the second quarter, which gives an idea of the scale of its operations and the number of orders processed through its systems.
The investigation remains open, and the medical device manufacturer has not yet clarified how the cybercriminals managed to access its infrastructure. It has also not confirmed whether any data extraction occurred, how many systems were compromised, or if any information was encrypted.
Is Iran behind the attack?
In recent hours, information and posts on social media have pointed to possible actors linked to Iran, particularly the group known as Handala.
However, these claims have not been confirmed by Boston Scientific and do not yet constitute an independent and conclusive attribution of the attack.
In March, the American medical technology manufacturer Stryker also suffered an attack that caused a significant disruption of its systems. Handala claimed responsibility for that operation, and investigators linked the incident to an Iranian actor. The attack had consequences on Stryker’s operations and indirectly affected hospitals and healthcare centers.
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