Nearly two weeks after facing a significant cyberattack, Stryker
(NYSE: SYK)
has reported progress in mitigating the fallout.
On March 11, Stryker disclosed an attack that effectively wiped out data on its Microsoft-based IT system. Handala, an Iran-backed “hacktivist” group, took credit for the cyberattack, which forced Stryker to shut down locations around the world and caused disruptions to order processing, manufacturing and shipping.
Today, Stryker issued an update on its ongoing effort to restore operations to normal.
“Our internal teams continue to work around the clock with external partners to make meaningful progress on our restoration efforts,” Stryker said. “We are grateful for the partnership and collaboration with government agencies and industry partners.”
The Portage, Michigan-based orthopedic giant maintains that the incident is contained and that it continues to prioritize the restoration of systems that directly support customers, ordering and shipping.
(Learn more about potential ramifications of this attack across medtech from recent MassDevice interviews with cybersecurity experts.)
Stryker said that, in partnership with third-party experts, its internal teams regained access to the IT systems. Additionally, the company says the effort successfully removed the unauthorized party from its environment.
Early in the process, Stryker stated that no indication of ransomware or malware existed. With Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 and other experts, the company has now identified that the threat actor used a “malicious file” to run commands. This allowed the attacker to hide activity while in the Stryker systems.
“To be clear, this file was not capable of spreading — either inside or outside of our environment,” Stryker said. “Most importantly, at no point has our investigation identified malicious activity directed towards our customers, suppliers, vendors or partners.”
The company reaffirmed its belief that the incident remains contained. There remains no evidence, Stryker said, of the threat actor accessing customer, supplier, vendor and partner systems.
“There is nothing more important to us than the customers and patients we serve, and we recognize the criticality of every procedure to every patient,” Stryker concluded. “We are working closely with our global manufacturing sites as operations continue to stabilize. Manufacturing capability is ramping quickly as critical lines and plants are brought back online, prioritizing patient needs. This is a 24/7 effort and the first priority of our entire organization.”
