Healthcare cyberattacks hit pacemakers and millions of patient records

Two major healthcare businesses, Boston Scientific and McKesson, disclosed more details over the weekend about separate cyberattacks that disrupted global operations and resulted in stolen patient data, respectively.

Medical-device maker Boston Scientific, whose IT systems were hacked by unknown intruders last week, said the cyberattack remains ongoing.

It also noted that pacemakers and other heart devices implanted after the August 25 breach cannot provide remote monitoring and data transmission as intended.

“New remote monitoring communicators cannot be activated, thus available device data will NOT be transmitted to remote patient management systems until the communicator can be activated,” the medtech firm said in a late Friday update.

This applies to all new cardiac rhythm management implants other than insertable cardiac monitors (ICM).

ICM devices must be activated using the Boston Scientific Clinic Assistant app to ensure the device correctly records patients’ heart rhythms, the company added.

Because of the cyberattack, “new ICMs are unable to pair to the patient remote monitoring mobile phone, therefore available episode data recorded by the ICM will NOT be transmitted to the remote monitoring system until the ICM can be paired to the patient mobile app,” according to the update.

The devices will still record any episodes, and patients can transmit these to the remote monitoring system by in-person transmission via the Clinic Assistant app.

This is done by selecting the “interrogate” button, according to the company.

Once its IT systems are back up and running, and the heart devices can pair with home monitoring equipment, they will again transmit recorded data to the remote systems.

However, the company does not have a timeline for full restoration.

“We are currently working on restoring affected functions and systems access,” Boston Scientific said on Saturday.

The digital intrusion also affected the firm’s manufacturing, shipping, and ordering, it noted.

“We are expeditiously working towards partial restoration for the shipping of some products this week,” according to a Sunday update.