Cardiac surgery device manufacturer falls prey to ransomware

The healthcare industry has been increasingly in the crosshairs of cyberattackers this year, with ransomware near the top of the sector’s biggest cyber threats. Hackers are attacking IT systems and personal data, among other things, with the aim of manipulation or theft. 

But it’s not just hospitals that are affected by cyberattacks; their suppliers are under attack as well. Artivion, a leading manufacturer of medical devices for cardiac surgery, has announced it was the victim of a ransomware attack on Nov. 21 that forced the company to take some systems, including parts of its accounting department, offline.

According to the company, while it can continue to offer its products and services to its customers, the incident has led to disruptions in some ordering and shipping processes, as well as in certain business operations. These issues have largely been mitigated, but the company cannot assure that the incident will not have a significant impact going forward.