Boston Scientific confirmed it suffered a cyberattack that disrupted global manufacturing and shipping operations, forcing staff in Ireland to work from home and sending company shares down. According to Reuters, the medical device manufacturer detected the unauthorized activity and activated its incident response procedures.
Global Operations and Supply Chain Impact
The cyberattack disrupted key information systems used to process and ship customer orders across the company’s international network, according to Reuters. Boston Scientific deployed third-party cybersecurity specialists to investigate the breach and contain the threat. Recovery operations are unfolding in phases, with sites and business-critical areas prioritized according to immediate operational needs.
Financial markets reacted immediately to the disruption. According to CNBC, shares in Boston Scientific fell 3.5% in pre-market trading following the initial disclosure of the incident.
Operational Disruption at Irish Manufacturing Facilities
The incident heavily impacted Boston Scientific’s substantial workforce in Ireland, where the company employs more than 7,000 people across three primary manufacturing plants in Cork, Clonmel, and Galway, according to local reporting by the Irish Examiner. Catherine Stoessel, the company’s senior vice president and chief information officer, notified Irish staff via email at 4:00 AM that employees capable of working remotely should do so while investigation and recovery efforts continue.
At the Model Farm Road plant in Cork, which employs approximately 1,200 people, day-shift workers were sent home early with full pay, while contract staff on the evening shift received four hours of pay after being dismissed, according to the Echo. Meanwhile, staff at the Clonmel and Galway facilities were informed that they could take unpaid leave or use holiday time since their shifts were canceled.
Broader Cybersecurity Pressures in the Medical Technology Sector
This incident represents the latest in a string of high-profile cyberattacks targeting multinational healthcare and medical technology corporations. In March, global medical technology company Stryker—which maintains headquarters in Cork and employs up to 5,000 people in Ireland—was crippled by a cyberattack that investigators suspected was carried out by an Iranian-backed group, as reported by the Irish Examiner.
Boston Scientific continues to evaluate the full scope of the breach as recovery efforts proceed across its worldwide facilities. Company representatives have not yet provided a definitive timeline for the complete restoration of all affected shipping and ordering systems.