Iran-linked hackers hit medical giant Stryker in retaliatory cyberattack

[AverageOldGuy]

5. What does Stryker do?

Every ambulance in the US has an ambulance cot -- most folks call it a stretcher. Almost 100% of these are Stryker products. Most ambulance services have gone to hydraulic, battery-powered cots that will raise and lower a patient who is up to 600 pounds. Stryker provides maintenance and spare parts. Stryker Power-Pro XT.

What if the patient is upstairs? Stryker makes a "stair chair" -- basically a wheel chair that can climb down stairs with a patient in it. Stryker services and maintains these.

Have you ever been in an ambulance, or, called 911 and had medics respond? In addition to a "jump bag" filled with medical supplies, one of the medics will be carrying what looks like a miniature TV set. The patient is attached to this device -- a LifePac -- to monitor blood pressure, oxygen saturation, pulse, and respiration. If need be the LifePac can take an EKG/ECG, print out a strip showing heart condition -- AFIB, VFIB, STEMI, etc. -- transmit that EKG/ECG strip to the ambulance wifi then to the ER. Cardiac arrest? The LifePac serves as a defibrillator that can shock the heart back into action. Severe heart arrythmia? LifePac does "cardiac pacing" -- it will get your heart back into rhythm. Who makes this marvelous device and its attachments along with servicing, calibrating, and maintaining the LifePac? Stryker, of course.

That bed you are in when you are in the hospital? Stryker -- sales, maintenance, service.

I could go on but you get the picture.

Why would Iran take down Stryker?