Boston Scientific Announces ‘Global Operational Disruption’ Caused by Cyberattack

A cyberattack on Boston Scientific, a U.S.-based medical device manufacturer, has resulted in a “global disruption” of its operations, as revealed in a federal regulatory submission on Wednesday. This incident is the latest in a series of cyberattacks that have targeted healthtech companies recently.

The Massachusetts-headquartered company, recognized for its implanted devices like pacemakers and defibrillators, reported in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it started experiencing “disruptions and limitations of access” to essential IT systems and business applications on Tuesday.

Boston Scientific has admitted that the cyberattack has impacted its ability to ship and process orders; however, the company has not provided specifics on whether this disruption affects customers with medical devices or implants.

In response to inquiries from TechCrunch, spokesperson Chanel Hastings shared the company’s public statement but declined to comment on how it might affect patients, what actions they should take, or the details surrounding the incident.

As per its website, Boston Scientific caters to roughly 48 million patients each year.

The company’s public statement noted that its investigation is still underway, and the timeline for restoring its systems remains uncertain.

Information concerning the cause of the cyberattack on Boston Scientific is still ambiguous. Local media reports from Ireland indicated that several employees at the Cork campus were sent home on Tuesday after network communications were compromised.

Boston Scientific is one of several health technology companies that have faced cyberattacks this year, including key medical device manufacturers like Abbott Laboratories and Medtronic. Earlier this year, cybercriminals with connections to Iran were associated with a cyberattack on Stryker, another U.S.-based medical device firm, which enabled hackers to remotely wipe thousands of employee devices via a centralized device management portal run by Microsoft.

Public internet records suggest that Boston Scientific primarily utilizes Microsoft and Amazon Web Services for its corporate infrastructure.

Do you have additional information regarding the cyberattack on Boston Scientific? Are you an employee or have you received any communications from the company or the hackers? Please contact this reporter securely via Signal at zackwhittaker.1337.