Companies in the Demant Group, which include hearing aid manufacturers Oticon, Sonic Innovations, and Bernafon, were the victims of a cyber attack that affected their IT infrastructure on September 3. The group was forced to shut down its IT systems across multiple sites and business units to contain the issue last week, causing some companies in the group to come to a virtual standstill relative to digital ordering and communications.
September 8th memo from Oticon President Gary Rosenblum to Oticon customers (click on image to enlarge).
On Sunday, Oticon US President Gary Rosenblum reaffirmed that the company was open for business and gradually recovering from the cyber attack. He requested that customers contact their account managers or inside sales representatives to place orders while the company regains its full capabilities. Rosenblum stated that although usual turnaround times may not yet be achieved, the company is “making steady progress to full operation.” He noted that all BTE-type products (including OpnS, Xceed, Opn, and Siya) and accessory products are available, and any work-in-progress order will be processed over the next several days (see memo on right).
According to a communication with customers last week, Rosenblum said that the cyber attack did not suggest the perpetrators gained access to any personal data, including protected health information, consumer data, or private financial information.
Cyber attacks, malware, and ransomware have been an increasing phenomenon across all companies and industries. This year has been another banner year for cyber crime, with local governments (notably Baltimore, Albany, and Laredo, Tex) and hospitals, as well as businesses such as First American and Asus, being victimized. It has been estimated that the US economy loses between $57 billion and $109 billion per year due to cybercrime.
Image: © Tero Vesalainen | Dreamstime.com
