Medical device maker Boston Scientific says a cyberattack is causing a ‘global disruption’ to its operations

Boston Scientific, the Massachusetts-based medical device maker known for creating implanted devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators, is currently experiencing a "global disruption" to its operations following a cyberattack, according to a regulatory filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The attack, which began on Tuesday, has caused disruptions and limitations in access to its IT systems and business applications, affecting the company's ability to ship and process orders.

While the company has not confirmed if the disruption extends to customers with medical devices and implants, Boston Scientific spokesperson Chanel Hastings provided a public statement to TechCrunch, declining to comment on the potential impact on patients, suggested steps for patients, or details about the incident itself.

Boston Scientific treats approximately 48 million patients annually, as stated on its website. The company's statement indicated that an investigation is ongoing, with no timeline for restoring systems currently available. It remains unclear what triggered the cyberattack at Boston Scientific. Local media in Ireland reported that thousands of employees were sent home on Tuesday as network communications were cut across the company's Cork campus.

The health tech company is among several health technology manufacturers targeted by hackers this year, including Abbott Laboratories and Medtronic. Earlier this year, Iranian-backed hackers were held responsible for a cyberattack on U.S. medical device manufacturer Stryker, which enabled them to remotely wipe over 50,000 employee devices across Windows networks, exploiting a centralized device management portal provided by Microsoft.

Boston Scientific relies primarily on Microsoft and Amazon Web Services for its corporate infrastructure.