Irish Examiner view: Stryker cyberattack shows how easily we are caught in the crossfire

Fire and smoke issue from the Fujairah oil facility in the United Arab Emirates after debris of an Iranian intercepted drone hit it, according to UAE authorities. Picture: Altaf Qadri/AP

The cyberattack on the global medical technology company Stryker — which employs thousands of people in Cork, Limerick, and Belfast — is a reminder that modern conflict no longer respects geography. 

Wars that begin thousands of kilometres away can now reach directly into offices, factories, and hospitals through the digital networks on which modern economies depend. In this case, the disruption was not caused by missiles or military force, but by code.