US Seizes Domains Tied to Iranian Hackers in Stryker Attack

The U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation seized four internet domains on Thursday linked to an Iranian government-backed hacking group that claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on medical technology company Stryker earlier this month. The domains, operated under the persona of the Handala Hack Team, were taken down as part of efforts to disrupt operations tied to Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security, but the group quickly relaunched its website on a new domain by Friday.

The seized sites—Justicehomeland.org, HandalaHack.to, Karmabelow80.org, and HandalaRedwanted.to—served as platforms for psychological operations, according to court documents filed in support of the action. Officials stated that the domains were used to claim credit for cyberattacks, post stolen sensitive data, and issue threats against journalists, Iranian dissidents, and Israeli individuals. A partially redacted FBI affidavit described the Handala persona as part of a conspiracy involving destructive malware attacks on U.S. entities, with specific references to the March 11 incident targeting Stryker, a Michigan-based multinational firm that produces hospital technologies...