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Your hip replacement surgery just got canceled because of hackers.
That’s what happened to thousands of patients when Stryker, one of the world’s largest medical device companies, got hit by Iranian hacktivists on March 11.
Employees watched helplessly as their computers were wiped clean. Global offices shut down. Supply chains froze.
Stryker makes the artificial joints, surgical equipment, and emergency stretchers that hospitals depend on every single day. When they go dark, surgeries get postponed. ERs scramble for alternatives. Patient care suffers.
Here’s the terrifying reality:
📊 Healthcare breaches jumped 239% in just 5 years
💰 Average breach cost: $10 million (highest of any industry)
🎯 79.7% of breaches now come from hacking, not lost laptops
Why healthcare? Your medical record sells for 50x more than a credit card number on the dark web.
The Senate finally woke up. Last week, they voted 22-1 to advance emergency cybersecurity legislation requiring:
• Multi-factor authentication (yes, in 2026 this still isn’t standard)
• Encrypted data storage
• Federal grants for cyber preparedness
• HHS incident response protocols
But here’s what keeps me up at night:
We’re treating cybersecurity like IT infrastructure when it’s actually patient safety infrastructure.
Every medical device, every EHR system, every supply chain link is a potential entry point for attackers who can literally shut down healthcare delivery.
Stryker is back online now, but the next attack is already being planned. And it might hit your local hospital, your imaging center, or your community clinic.
The question isn’t if, but when.
Are we really prepared to practice medicine when the lights go out?
♻️ Repost if cybersecurity is patient safety
👉 Follow me, Jonathan Govette, for daily, real-time updates on healthcare technology and business news. LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathangovette/
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Author:
Jonathan Govette is a seasoned healthcare and technology executive with more than two decades of experience building, scaling, and advising digital health companies. He is the Co-Founder and CEO of Oatmeal Health, an AI-driven Lung Cancer Screening and Diagnostics company focused on expanding access to early detection for underrepresented populations, particularly patients served by Federally Qualified Health Centers and value-based health plans.
With a background in engineering, product development, and strategic partnerships, Jonathan has founded and led multiple health technology ventures across clinical care delivery, regulated medical software, and AI-enabled diagnostics. His work sits at the intersection of medicine, technology, and health equity, with a consistent focus on translating complex clinical problems into scalable, real-world solutions.
Jonathan has spent much of his professional life dedicated to improving outcomes for marginalized and underserved communities. He has designed and implemented frameworks that align clinical quality, reimbursement, and technology to sustainably advance health equity at scale. This mission is deeply personal and informs his leadership philosophy and long-term vision for healthcare transformation.
In addition to his operating experience, Jonathan is an author and long-time writer in the healthcare domain, with over 20 years of published work covering digital health, medical innovation, and healthcare systems. He is a frequent mentor to early-stage founders and regularly advises startups on product strategy, partnerships, and go-to-market execution in regulated healthcare environments.
Before entering industry full-time, Jonathan nearly pursued a career in medicine with an early path toward cardiothoracic surgery, an experience that continues to shape his clinical perspective and respect for frontline care delivery.
CEO | Oatmeal Health | AI Lung Cancer Startup | Engineer | Writer | Almost Became a Doctor (Cardiac Thoracic Surgeon) | 3x Health Tech Founder | Startup Mentor | Follow to share what I’ve learned along the way.
