Medical technologies company hit by cyber-attack

Some health professionals in Perth are understood to have been impacted by a cyber-attack on United States based medical technologies company Stryker.

A post on the company’s LinkedIn profile said the company, which has an office in Osborne Park, was “continuing to resolve the disruption impacting our global network, resulting from the cyber attack”.

When Medical Forum phoned the company’s office in Perth an automated message said: “Stryker is experiencing an issue and is unable to answer calls at this time.”

An update on the company’s website confirmed it was experiencing a global network disruption to its internal Microsoft environment as a result of a cyber attack.

“We have no indication of ransomware or malware and believe the incident is contained," the update said.

“Our teams are working rapidly to understand the impact of the attack on our systems."

While a number of Perth hospitals use Stryker’s MAKO robotic surgical technology, the company confirmed such products had not been impacted.

“Our products like MAKO, Vocera and LifePak35 are fully safe to use,” the company posted.

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Sydney based cyber security consultant Errol Abrahams posted on social media that such an incident has "very real" implications for Australia.

"Australian hospitals rely heavily on global suppliers for medical technology — including companies like Stryker — for equipment such as orthopaedic surgical systems, emergency defibrillators, hospital beds and patient transport systems, surgical robotics and operating room technologies," he wrote in a LinkedIn post.