n 2017, Merck, a pharmaceutical company, was one of many companies targeted by a ransomware attack, known as “WannaCry.” Reuters reported that this attack “disrupted production of some Merck medicines and vaccines,” at a high cost for the company.[1] In addition, work was disrupted for a huge number of the company’s employees, many of whom rely on computers for the vast majority of their work.[2] The WannaCry ransomware attack that successfully targeted Merck is not the only cyberattack to which the pharmaceutical industry has fallen victim. As pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies move toward greater digitalization and the storage of more valuable data, their digital security practices become more and more critical. Many such manufacturing facilities rely on Internet of Things-connected technology in order to automate their very precise, sensitive manufacturing processes. This connectivity makes the facilities more susceptible to attack by dramatically increasing the number of internet-connected endpoints that must be protected. Additionally, the proprietary information behind drugs and other biopharmaceutical advances are valuable, and thus a prime target for cyberattackers. Finally, with the extremely sensitive nature of data collected and used by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, security measures are particularly important for these firms, especially those looking to gain and keep trust with consumers and patients. As a result,

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• HighTech / Internet / AI

• Security

• Pharmaceutical Outsosurcing

• 1/1/2019

• Article