Stryker, the US medical technology giant, has suffered a global cyber attack that has crippled its IT systems, leaving thousands of employees unable to work. The attack, suspected to have been orchestrated by the Iranian-linked hacker group Handala Hack, has impacted operations across Europe, Asia, and the USA.
In messages to staff, Stryker confirmed a severe global disruption affecting all laptops and systems connected to its network. The company stated it is actively engaged with Microsoft and treating the incident as a critical, enterprise-wide event. A statement on Stryker's website said there is no indication of ransomware or malware and that the incident is believed to be contained.
Handala Hack is a pro-Palestinian hacktivist group known for targeting Israeli organisations using phishing, data theft, and destructive wiper malware. The group also operates a data leak site to publicise stolen data. Lee Sult, Chief Investigator at Binalyze, said the attack could be the first of many as a result of nation-state and hacktivist activity linked to the Iran conflict.
Stryker's headquarters in Portage, Michigan, has been closed due to the attack. A spokesperson said the company is actively working to restore systems and operations as quickly as possible, with business continuity measures in place to support customers and partners.
