American medical technology giant Stryker faced a cyberattack on Wednesday that briefly disrupted its global operations. Reports suggest that a hacking group linked to Iran carried out the attack. Although the company’s website and systems have largely returned to normal, the incident raised concerns about cybersecurity threats targeting major corporations.
The company said it is investigating the incident and working to determine how much damage the attack caused.
“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 said in a statement.
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, the attack is believed to be linked to the Iran-associated hacking group Handala. The group’s logo reportedly appeared on Stryker’s login pages during the breach.
Systems Began Shutting Down Suddenly
The cyberattack reportedly began around midnight Eastern Time in the United States. Employees started noticing that their systems were shutting down one after another.
A report by Bloomberg said workers watched their computers go offline in real time. When they realised that a cyberattack was underway, some employees tried to unplug machines to protect company data.
However, in several offices the damage was already significant. Some workers reported that files stored on their devices had been erased. In certain locations, nearly 95 per cent of computers and digital systems were reportedly wiped.
As the situation escalated, employees across multiple offices worldwide could not continue working. Many were asked to leave their workplaces and avoid connecting to company systems or software until further notice.
Thousands of Systems Affected
Reports suggest that the scale of the cyberattack may have been extensive. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency claimed that more than 200,000 systems, servers and mobile devices were affected. It also reported that hackers extracted around 50 terabytes of data from Stryker’s systems.
These claims have not been independently confirmed by the company.
Stryker Shares Drop After Attack
The cyberattack also had an immediate impact on the company’s market performance. Shares of Stryker fell by as much as 5.3 per cent following news of the breach.
The Michigan-based company is headquartered in Portage, Michigan. It produces medical technologies used in surgery, neurotechnology and orthopedic treatments.
Stryker reported more than $25 billion in revenue in 2025 and employs around 56,000 people worldwide.
Hackers Claim Attack Was Retaliation
The Iran-linked hacking group Handala later claimed responsibility for the attack. According to reports, the group described the cyber operation as retaliation for an alleged US bombing of an Iranian school that reportedly killed more than 100 children.
The group also warned that the incident marks a “new chapter in cyber warfare", according to Bloomberg.