THE ATTACK
Early today — just after midnight — hackers from the Handala group announced they had attacked Stryker, a Fortune 500 company known for its medical and surgical equipment.
The Handala group is believed to be affiliated with Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Cyber Security. The group said the cyber attack was carried out in retaliation for a US Tomahawk missile strike at the Shajereh Tayyebeh Elementary School in the southern city of Minab — an attack that reportedly killed 165 people, most of them children.
AUSTRALIAN HOSPITALS RESPONSE
Health officials in Victoria and New South Wales have told the ABC there has been no disruption so far. However, security experts fear the attack is only the first in a wave of cyber aggression against American companies with a strong retail presence in Australia.
WIDER THREAT
There are now concerns that as the war drags on, further cyber attacks on US companies could also hurt Australian sectors like energy, banking and finance — because of the strong links between the two countries
