MI Company Targeted In Iran-Linked Cyberattack: Reports

PORTAGE, MI — An Iran-linked hacker group targeted a Michigan-based medical company in a cyberattack earlier this week, according to reports.

Stryker, based in Portage, said the cyberattack disrupted its global network. One employee told NBC News their work-issued phones stopped working and brought communications with colleagues to a standstill.

The company said Wednesday morning they believe the attack has been contained to only their internal Microsoft environment. They added there is no evidence of ransomware or malware within their systems.

"We have visibility to the orders entered before the event, and they will be shipped as soon as our system communications are restored. Any orders that have come in after the event are being examined," Stryker said in a statement. "We are working to ensure our electronic ordering system is back up and running as quickly as possible."

The company said it is safe to communicate with Stryker employees and sales representatives by email and phone and within your facility.

Handala, an Iranian-affiliated hacker group, claimed responsibility for the cyberattack. The group claimed the cyberattack was retaliation for a missile strike on an elementary school in Iran, which Iranian state media claimed killed at least 168 children, according to a CNN report.

It's believed to be the first Iranian-linked cyberattack on American infrastructure since the war began.

Stryker is a medical company that produces medical and surgical equipment, such as defibrillators and ambulance cots.

They have more than 53,000 employees globally, including roughly 1,000 in the Kalamazoo area.