Iran-linked Group Hacks Stryker, Disrupts Medical Tech

0:00On March 11th, a group linked to Iran called Hendala has claimed responsibility for cyber attack that shut down systems at Striker, a major medical, technology company. The hack knocked out the firm's global network, leaving thousands of employees unable to access computers or mobile apps. Hendala said the Striker was payback for a U.S. and Israeli air strike on February 28th that hit a school in Minab, Iran, killing at least one, 168 people, mostly girls. Striker, based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, confirmed the disruption and said teams are working around the clock to restore operations. The attack wipes some remote devices like laptops and cell phones connected to the network. With over 56,000 workers in more than 60 countries, Striker makes equipment for surgeries, neuro-technology, and orthopedics, so the outage has ripple effects on their daily work. This fits into wider tensions, as Iran has built up its cyber forces since the Stuxnet and Warm, hit its nuclear program over a decade ago.

1:01Hendala has targeted places like Israel before, using proxies amid ongoing conflicts. Striker has backup plans to keep serving customers and plans to update stakeholders soon. Meanwhile, the FBI is ramping up efforts to counter these threats and take down the networks behind them.