Cyber Risk After the Iran Conflict: 3 Actions Every Organization Can Take Now

Lessons from Recent Attacks and Practical Security Actions

Cyber Risk Following the Iran Conflict

Recent geopolitical tensions between Iran, Israel, and the United States have intensified the cyber threat landscape. A common assumption is that sophisticated cyber warfare is the primary risk to companies and individuals, however the reality is that in times of war as in times of peace, attackers often use opportunistic tactics targeting weak controls.

These methods leverage:

• Stolen credentials

• Unpatched systems

• Exposed services

You don’t need advanced cyber capabilities to reduce your organization’s cyber risk. You need to disciplined execution of fundamentals.

Example Case Studies

Here are some examples of recent attacks by Iranian-linked groups and affiliated hacktivists using the above methods:

Stryker Cyberattack (March 2026)

In March 2026, Stryker, a leading U.S. medical device company, was targeted by a cyberattack impacting its Microsoft systems. Iranian-linked hacker group Handala took responsibility for the attack, claiming to have permanently deleted over 12 petabytes of Stryker data and stealing 50 terabytes of data. The incident disrupted Stryker’s operations across multiple countries, causing system outages that affected product delivery, customer support, and internal communications.

The attack is believed to have begun with compromised credentials through phishing or other identity-based attacks, granting the hackers administrative access to the company’s Microsoft environment and allowing them to deploy destructive “wiper” malware.

Stryker responded by activating its incident response plan, isolating affected systems, engaging external cybersecurity experts, and communicating transparently with customers. The company prioritized restoring essential services and is continuing an investigation into the attack.

Security Camera Attacks (2026)

Hundreds of attacks were attempted on security cameras in Israel and Gulf states, aiming to monitor missile strike impacts in real time. Iranian-linked actors exploited default credentials and unpatched firmware, gaining access to live feeds.

What These Attacks Have in Common

These and other attacks often share a commonality. They exploited basic weaknesses, such as stolen credentials, unpatched systems, or exposed services to succeed. Known and preventable weaknesses.

Three Practical Recommendations You Can Quickly Implement

The following easy-to-implement actions can help you significantly reduce your cybersecurity risk.

Enforce MFA Everywhere (Especially Remote Access and Admin Accounts)

MFA prevents attackers from using stolen credentials by adding a second layer of protection. Prioritize deployment for email systems, VPNs, cloud administration, and privileged accounts.

The best MFA solutions use push notifications or hardware tokens, instead of SMS.

Identify all remote access points and privileged accounts and enable MFA for them. Additionally, regularly review MFA logs for suspicious activity.

Patch and Secure Internet-Facing Systems

Attackers scan the web for exposed systems and known vulnerabilities. This is not targeted hacking, rather automated discovery of vulnerable systems. Automated patching and regular reviews are vital to minimize the attack surface.

To address this, maintain inventory of all internet-facing assets (e.g, VPNs, firewalls, RDP, web portals) and ensure critical patches are applied soon after release.

Eliminate Weak and Default Credentials

Credential hygiene remains a top gap. Attackers can exploit default passwords, reused credentials, and inactive accounts.

To mitigate this risk, implement password related controls, such as:

• Auditing all accounts for default, weak, or reused passwords

• Enforcing password complexity and regular password rotation

• Ensuring unused and inactive accounts are disabled

• Monitoring for credential exposure

Note to Smaller Organizations

Smaller organizations may assume they are less likely to be targeted, but attackers often prioritize organizations with:

• Weaker controls

• Exposed systems

• Limited security monitoring

Final Thought: Focus on Fundamentals

Consistently implementing core security controls, such as strong identity management, minimizing system exposure, and disciplined access practices, can significantly improve your organization’s security posture. Enforcing MFA, maintaining timely patching, and strengthening credential hygiene are some of the highest-impact cybersecurity quick wins.