one cyber attack An attack on a major U.S. company has sparked new concerns among security experts, who warn it could mark the beginning of a wider cyberattack against Western organizations.
Previously, hackers launched an attack on Stryker, a medical technology company based in Michigan, causing its global network to be disrupted and thousands of employees paralyzed.
one IranA related hacking group called Handala later claimed responsibility for the attack. The group said the operation was in retaliation for a U.S. attack on a school in Minab.
Experts warn this could be the start of a larger movement
According to the “Daily Mail” report, Lee Sult, chief investigator of cybersecurity company Binalyze, said that the Stryker vulnerability may mark the beginning of a wider cyber operation against Western targets.
“The Stryker attacks appear to be the first bloodshed of nation-state and hacker activity. Iran Conflict,” he said.
“This attack confirms that Western groups are not only targeted by adversaries, but also available for shooting. More shooting is coming.”
Sirte warned that the attack on Stryker “is the first of a wave of attacks.”
The Handala group later posted on Telegram that it wiped more than 200,000 systems and stole approximately 50 terabytes of data.
The group also claims to have closed Stryker offices in 79 countries. Stryker operates in more than 100 countries around the world.
“Our major cyber operation has been a complete success,” Handala said in a statement.
The hackers described the operation as retaliation for a “brutal attack on Minab schools” and “ongoing cyberattacks on the Axis of Resistance infrastructure.”
U.S. critical infrastructure could be targeted
Frank A. Ross, who formerly served in the U.S. Department of Defense, warned that these cyber incidents may mean that hackers may start targeting U.S. infrastructure.
He said systems such as data centers, banking networks, energy facilities and other private infrastructure could be possible targets, the Daily Mail reported.
“When the Iranians know very well that they can’t compete militarily with us in the United States, they’re going to look for asymmetric responses,” Ross said.
“An attack on U.S. infrastructure could be one of these asymmetric vulnerabilities.”
He added that much of America’s infrastructure is run by private companies, which often approach security differently than government national security organizations.
“You want private sector companies to understand the evolving threats and start hardening critical systems such as data centres, banking networks and their network infrastructure,” Ross told MailOnline.
“But it costs money. When I was working on cyber issues in government, we often didn’t make the investment we needed because there were always other budget priorities.”
“We have improved the security of critical infrastructure since 9/11, but it’s still not 100 percent.”
The cyber operation came as the United States and Israel launched a massive military offensive against Iran, killing the country’s top leader and several senior officials.
