Cyber risk is business risk

Cyber risk is business risk.

Boston Scientific disclosed on September 8 that a cybersecurity incident will likely prevent the company from meeting its previous third-quarter and full-year sales and earnings guidance.

The incident, identified on August 25, caused a global network outage affecting:

• Business applications
• Manufacturing operations
• Order processing
• Product shipments
• Remote-monitoring activations

Operations are recovering.

Major distribution centers are now processing and shipping orders at or above normal levels. Sterilization facilities are operational, and manufacturing has resumed across most locations.

The financial impact remains uncertain.

This is an important reminder for every technology leader.

Cyber resilience is not measured only by whether systems return online.

It is measured by how quickly the organization restores:

• Production
• Customer fulfillment
• Supply-chain operations
• Revenue generation
• Critical services
• Stakeholder confidence

A complete resilience strategy requires coordination across technology, security, operations, finance, communications, and executive leadership.

Boards should ask:

• Which business processes depend on each critical system?
• How long can manufacturing and fulfillment operate manually?
• Are recovery priorities aligned with revenue and customer impact?
• Have we tested recovery across technology and business teams?
• How will a prolonged outage affect financial guidance?

My takeawaycybersecurity has become inseparable from operational performance.

The goal is not only to contain the attack.

The goal is to keep the business operating.

Does your incident-response plan measure technical recovery or business recovery?