Abbott Laboratories disclosed on Thursday that a cyberattack hit its cancer diagnostics business, with unauthorized access to a limited number of internal systems. The company stated that no other Abbott businesses, sites, or systems were affected and that patient care and product availability remain uninterrupted.
Abbott’s cancer diagnostics business includes Exact Sciences, acquired earlier this year in a $21 billion deal. The legacy Exact Sciences systems operate separately from Abbott’s core infrastructure, according to the company’s statement. Upon discovering the intrusion, Abbott contacted third-party cybersecurity experts and law enforcement. An investigation into what data was accessed is underway.
The company did not disclose the type of information accessed or when the attack was first detected. Abbott declined to comment further on the scope of the breach. The company stated it does not expect a material financial impact from the incident.
Abbott joins a growing list of medtech companies hit by cyberattacks in recent months, including Stryker, Medtronic, Intuitive Surgical, iRhythm, and AdaptHealth. Stryker’s March attack disrupted ordering, shipping, and manufacturing for weeks and meaningfully impacted its first-quarter earnings.
