Medical device manufacturer Boston Scientific announced on Wednesday that a cyberattack has disrupted its global operations. The company reported that the incident has affected its ability to process and ship customer orders.
The company stated it first uncovered the incident on Tuesday. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Wednesday, Boston Scientific confirmed it has hired external cybersecurity experts to investigate the breach and contain the threat.
The manufacturer reported that the incident has caused, and is expected to continue to cause, limitations on access to information systems and business applications. While the company is working to restore these functions, it stated that the timeline for a full restoration is currently unknown. Following the announcement, shares of Boston Scientific fell by as much as 6% in early trading.
For the company itself, the scale of the impact includes a global interruption of business applications and a documented 6% drop in share price. While the exact number of delayed shipments or the specific financial cost per day has not been disclosed, the SEC filing indicates that the company anticipates ongoing limitations to its operations. The incident highlights the persistent vulnerability of the medical supply chain to digital threats, which can stall the delivery of life-sustaining hardware to medical facilities.
What happens next remains dependent on the company's restoration efforts. Boston Scientific has not provided a specific date for when its ordering and shipping systems will return to full capacity. The company’s investigation into the scope of the breach is ongoing as outside experts work to assess the full extent of the business interruption and ensure the threat is fully contained. Patients and providers awaiting equipment will notice these disruptions until the company completes its recovery process.