A cyberattack targeting global medical technology company Stryker has drawn attention after an Iranian-linked hacking group claimed responsibility for the incident. The group announced the attack through messages posted on its Telegram channel while the company confirmed disruptions to some of its systems.
The Michigan based company which employs 56,000 people and operates in 61 countries said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that the attack caused limited access to certain systems. The company added that a full restoration timeline is not yet known. Posts on social media from staff and contractors suggested that the logo of an Iran-linked hacking group appeared on the company’s login pages although this could not be independently verified. A company spokesperson said “We have no indication of ransomware or malware and believe the incident is contained.” Calls to the firm’s global headquarters in Portage, Michigan were answered by a recording stating the company is “currently experiencing a building emergency.” Shares of Stryker closed 3.6% lower on Wednesday.
Cybersecurity experts have raised concerns that the attack could be linked to rising geopolitical tensions involving Iran, the United States and Israel after airstrikes were launched against Iran. Cynthia Kaiser, senior vice president at cybersecurity company Halcyon and a former senior cyber official at the Federal Bureau of Investigation said “This is exactly the type of attack we have been worried about: Iranian proxies using destructive cyber attacks like data deletion against U.S. companies to retaliate.” The hacking persona Handala said on its Telegram channel that the attack was carried out in response to the strike on the Minab school in southern Iran “and ongoing cyber assaults.” According to Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva Ali Bahreini about 150 students were killed in the incident although the figure has not been independently verified.
Reports suggest the outages began shortly after midnight on Wednesday on the East Coast. Employees reportedly discovered that remote devices running Microsoft Windows including laptops, cellphones and other connected systems had been wiped. A White House official said “(The) Trump administration is always proactively monitoring potential cyber threats and driving a response with our world-class critical infrastructure regulator agencies and law enforcement entities.” The Department of Homeland Security and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency did not respond to requests for comment. Cybersecurity company Check Point said the group has previously been linked to hack-and-leak campaigns and destructive attacks. Gil Messing, chief of staff at Check Point, said “They are the most notorious group affiliated with the Iranian regime.” He added that researchers believe the group operates under Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and that openly claiming the attack signals a new phase in Iran’s cyber strategy.
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