After Stryker, pro-Iranian hacktivists targeting US data centres, Telegram conversations reveal
The Iran war is being fought as much in the digital space as in the physical world. Stryker, a Michigan-based medical technology company, was earlier hit. But it won't end here. Iran has a ‘target list’, and many more establishments could be hit with cyber attacks.
Stryker cyber attack
Pro-Iranian hackers carried out a cyberattack on Stryker, a Michigan-based medical technology company, earlier this week. A group called Handala claimed responsibility and said it was in retaliation for the strike on an Iranian school that killed 168, believed to have been carried out by the US. Cyber warfare has played a crucial role in the Iran war and will continue to in the coming days.
Pro-Iran hackers tried disrupting data centres in Middle East and US
Hacktivist groups have been actively launching cyberattacks against data centres, industrial facilities, and businesses in the Middle East and the US. Since the war started on February 28, they have tried to install cameras in Middle Eastern countries so that Iran can hit targets with missiles with great precision. In the US, the medical device company Stryker recently experienced a disruptive data-wiping attack.
Hackers are targeting US data centres
These hackers are now coming full throttle for the US defence systems. They are openly discussing their plans on message boards, such as Telegram. The US data centres are their primary target, which they describe as the "brains" of US military and intelligence operations. Researchers at the US-based SITE Intelligence Group recently uncovered conversations revealing their plans. “The datacenters need to be taken out as they host the brains of the USA's military communication and targeting systems," one message read.
Organisations with links to Israel and US at risk of cyber attack
Any group or company linked to US defence and Israel in vulnerable to cyber attacks. US defense contractors, government vendors and businesses that work with Israel will be on target, and hackers will try to infiltrate their systems. Critical infrastructure such as hospitals, ports, water plants, power stations and railways are also likely targets.
Iran's 'target list' includes Middle East offices of Nvidia, Microsoft and Google
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) carried out physical attacks on three Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centres in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain on March 1, 2026, using drones. This caused structural damage and permanent server submersion. The body has now prepared a "target list" to hit digital infrastructure at Middle Eastern offices of major US tech companies, including Google, Microsoft, Palantir, and Nvidia.
After Stryker cyber attack, local water plants or health care facilities can also be hit
The Stryker cyber attack shows that pro-Iran hacktivists are capable of entering more such systems to cause disruptions. They have also targeted industrial facilities in Israel, a school in Saudi Arabia and an airport in Kuwait. Local water plants or health care facilities that do not know or have the funds to install security systems are easy targets. The hackers can jam their systems and deface their websites to prevent customers from reaching them, resulting in a denial of service.
In 2024, they tried hacking Trump and Biden's WhatsApp accounts
Iranian hackers have in the past managed to spread misinformation by setting up fake websites and social media accounts. In 2024, the email system of the Trump campaign was compromised landing them access to critical files. They even tried to hack into the WhatsApp accounts of Donald Trump and Joe Biden, who were the president at the time.
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