An Iran-linked hacker group has claimed responsibility for a cyberattack of a medical tech company, in what appears to be the first significant instance of Iran hacking an American company since the start of war between the countries.
The company, Stryker, produces a range of medical equipment and technology, and is headquartered in Michigan.
Historically, Iran has conducted some of the most infamous “wiper” cyberattacks on national enemies, aiming to simply erase all data on a computer’s networks. Victims include Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s national oil company, in 2012, and the Sands Casino in 2014.
Since the war started, some established hacker groups sympathetic to Iranian leadership have claimed minor attacks, but most have been relegated to briefly altering the appearance of a website and none have appeared to have had major impact. Some tech and cybersecurity companies, including Google, and the email cybersecurity company Proofpoint, have told NBC News that they have largely seen Iran’s hackers conducting espionage related to the war.