Reports suggest that the American medical technology firm’s internal employee login and administration portals were defaced with the emblem of Handala, an Iranian ‘hacktivist’ collective

Sara Rountree Deputy Editor, Cork Beo

13:39, 11 Mar 2026Updated 13:47, 11 Mar 2026

Stryker’s HQ in Belfast(Image: Styker )

A major medical technology firm with a base in Belfast has been caught up in a global cyberattack. It is believed that the accounts of Stryker staff worldwide, including thousands based in Cork and Belfast, were compromised this morning.

Reports suggest that the American medical technology firm’s internal employee login and administration portals were defaced with the emblem of Handala, an Iranian ‘hacktivist’ collective believed to be responsible for the security breach. It is also believed that numerous workers have had their device information erased and are unable to log into their accounts.

The Iranian-linked hacking collective has also taken credit today for compromising Israel’s Academy of the Hebrew Language website.

In a communication to Cork personnel, Stryker stated it is “experiencing a severe, global disruption impacting all Stryker laptops and systems that connect to our network.”

Globally, the organisation has tens of thousands of employees. Stryker personnel across Ireland, the United States, Australia and India have turned to social media and specialist technology forums to share warnings and accounts of extensive system failures, reports Cork Beo.

Stryker’s production in Belfast began in 1997, and they have a base at Airport Road West. The Michigan-headquartered company runs six medical device research, development and manufacturing plants in Cork. Today, Stryker employs over 5,000 people in Ireland.

The Irish facilities have recently reached significant milestones, marking the production of one million Triathlon knees and celebrating a decade of achievement in manufacturing 3D printed cementless tibial baseplates.

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