Boston Scientific has begun restoring product shipments roughly one week after a cyberattack forced the medical device maker to halt manufacturing, order processing and shipping operations globally.
Restoration efforts underway
The company said it is progressively moving customer orders through its fulfillment process as capabilities are brought back online. In a statement posted to its website Thursday, Boston Scientific confirmed that shipping has resumed for the majority of products at its major distribution centers worldwide.
“It will take time to work through the existing backlog of orders,” the company said. Customers can still submit orders electronically while restoration continues.
The attack disrupted the company’s ability to manufacture products alongside its order processing and shipping functions. Boston Scientific declined to comment on whether manufacturing capabilities remain affected, directing requests for updates to its website.
Investigation ongoing
Boston Scientific is working with CrowdStrike and other third-party experts as it investigates the breach. The company expressed “growing confidence that the unauthorized access was limited to select internal-facing IT infrastructure.”
When Boston Scientific first disclosed the cyberattack in a securities filing, it said it had not yet determined whether the incident would have a material impact on its financials.
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The company has struggled this year on multiple fronts. Boston Scientific has cut its sales and earnings per share forecast twice as key businesses faced challenges, making the timing of this disruption particularly unwelcome.
Industry under pressure
Boston Scientific is not alone in facing recent cyber threats. The incident is the latest in a string of attacks targeting the medical device sector over the past six months. Other major companies hit include Stryker, Medtronic, Abbott and Intuitive, though most of those attacks did not significantly disrupt operations.
Stryker experienced a more substantial impact when it suffered an attack in March. That breach shut down ordering, shipping and manufacturing for weeks. While the company did not provide a specific figure, CEO Kevin Lobo said the attack “meaningfully” affected Stryker’s first-quarter growth.
The healthcare sector has become an increasingly attractive target for malicious actors due to the critical nature of medical services and the high value of patient data. For manufacturers like Boston Scientific, even temporary disruptions to production and distribution can create cascading problems for hospitals and patients who depend on specific devices.
Boston Scientific said it will provide updates through its website as restoration efforts continue. The company did not offer a timeline for when full capabilities would be restored across all products and sites.
