West Pharmaceutical Services confirms cyberattack after data theft and system encryption

West Pharmaceutical Services, a Pennsylvania-based pharmaceutical manufacturing company specializing in injectable drug packaging and delivery systems, confirmed it was the target of a cybersecurity attack that resulted in data theft and system encryption across parts of its global network.

The company disclosed that it detected the intrusion on May 4 and launched incident response protocols immediately after identifying unauthorized activity on its systems.

In a filing submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on May 7, West Pharmaceutical Services stated that attackers exfiltrated certain data and encrypted portions of its infrastructure during what it described as a material cybersecurity incident.

The company said containment measures included proactively shutting down and isolating affected on-premise infrastructure, restricting access to enterprise systems, notifying law enforcement authorities and activating crisis management procedures. External cybersecurity and forensic specialists were also engaged to assist with the response effort.

West Pharmaceutical Services retained Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 incident response team to support containment, recovery and investigative operations in coordination with legal counsel and additional external experts.

The cyberattack disrupted business operations globally, affecting manufacturing and enterprise systems. The company said core enterprise systems supporting shipping and manufacturing operations have since been restored, while critical manufacturing processes have resumed at some sites. Restoration work at remaining facilities remains ongoing, and no timeline has been provided for full recovery.

Investigators are continuing to determine the full scope of the breach, including the exact categories of information accessed or stolen during the intrusion. The company has not disclosed whether personal information or customer-related data was compromised.

West Pharmaceutical Services stated that it has implemented measures intended to reduce the risk of dissemination of the exfiltrated data but did not provide additional details regarding those actions.

No ransomware group had publicly claimed responsibility for the attack at the time of disclosure.

Founded in 1923 and headquartered in Exton, Pennsylvania, West Pharmaceutical Services is an S&P 500-listed company with annual revenue exceeding $3 billion and a workforce of more than 10,800 employees worldwide. The company manufactures syringe components, vial containment systems and drug delivery technologies used by pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms globally.