Cybercrime expert warns pharma companies they are not immune

The former head of cybercrime at the US department of Homeland Security has warned of the increased threat to pharma and biotech companies in this area.

Mark Weatherford spoke on a panel at the 2015 BIO International Convention, on a wider panel on cybercrime, and spoke specifically on the issues that biotech and pharma companies now face. The private industry is increasingly facing cyber-attacks, the likes of which formerly only the military could have defended, he says, and it is expected to face this threat alone. This comes partially from what he calls “vendor indifference,” that is especially displayed by outsourcing partners. “They consider it trivial: ‘My clients aren’t asking for it, so why should I do it?” he said.

Japan's Shionogi (TYO: 4507) was one such victim of cyber-attacks: in 2011 a former employee accessed the company’s computer infrastructure and deleted servers crucial to the running of the business, and leading to losses of over $300, 000.