(WXYZ) — Michigan-based medical technology giant Stryker was hit by a cyberattack that caused a global disruption to its operations, with an Iranian-affiliated hacker group claiming responsibility.
Watch Ruta Ulcinaite’s video report:
Employees attempting to use work devices like laptops discovered branding and flags tied to the hacker group Handala on Wednesday, which claimed responsibility for the attack. Stryker’s world headquarters in Portage, Michigan, near Kalamazoo, was closed for the day, with signs on doors telling employees to “please stay off the network and refrain from using your computer and connecting to WiFi.”
A spokesperson for Stryker provided 7 News Detroit with the following statement:
Stryker is experiencing a global network disruption to our Microsoft environment as a result of a cyberattack. We have no indication of ransomware or malware and believe the incident is contained.Our teams are working rapidly to understand the impact of the attack on our systems.
Stryker has business continuity measures in place to continue to support our customers and partners.
Scott Bailey, cybersecurity expert and managing partner of N1 Discovery in Troy, said the attack was not a ransomware incident aimed at extracting money, but rather a “wiper attack” designed to cause maximum destruction.
“Once the threat actors got into their system, their total goal was just destruction. So all they did was wipe the data off of all of these systems,” Bailey said. “The fact that personal devices are implicated in this would appear to indicate not only did they lose control of their network, but they also lost control, probably of their Microsoft 365 tenant.”
Bailey described Handala as a group with ties to the Middle East.
“They’re a Palestinian ‘hacktivism’ group that is obviously now aligned with Iran,” Bailey said.
FULL INTERVIEW: Scott Bailey, a cybersecurity expert, on the Stryker hack
Cybersecurity experts say the attack reflects a new reality tied to the escalating conflict in the Middle East, with state-affiliated groups increasingly turning to cyberattacks to inflict damage on Western targets.
“Right now, the Iranian missiles and drones obviously can’t reach us. So how do you inflict pain? This is the best way to do it,” Bailey added.
Bailey warned the road to recovery for Stryker will be long.
“This does not just give them a few days, and they’re going to be up and running. They are going to be recovering from this probably for several months,” Bailey said.
He also said the attack should serve as a warning to other large corporations.
“If you’re a global company and you don’t have confidence in your cybersecurity measures, this would definitely be a wake-up call,” Bailey said.
Stryker employs over 50,000 people worldwide and about 1,000 at its world headquarters in Portage, Michigan. The company is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of medical technology and one of Michigan’s largest companies.
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