The healthcare system has long been the target of cyberattacks — in recent years, hospitals and providers have disclosed attacks that led to operational disruptions and stolen data.
While medical device companies have not been exempt from the threat of cyberattacks, there were few instances in the industry over the past several years. That changed this year, with a growing list of medtech firms hit by cyberattacks in recent months.
Stryker was one of the first medtech companies to disclose a cyberattack after its global Microsoft environment was targeted and disrupted. The attack shut down Stryker’s ordering, shipping and manufacturing capabilities for weeks and ate into its first-quarter results. The company reported in July that it was still recovering from the attack.
Days after Stryker’s attack, Intuitive said it was hit by a phishing incident that compromised employee and customer data.
And the attacks continued from there — Medtronic, Abbott, iRhythm and AdaptHealth were all hit by cyberattacks over the following months.
Cook Medical and Baylor Genetics are the most recent companies to report cyberattacks, both disclosing them this month. In the case of Baylor Genetics, a third party may have accessed employee and patient information, including test results, Social Security numbers and financial account details.
Read on for MedTech Dive’s coverage of cyberattacks in the medical device industry:
