March 17 (Reuters) - Medical device maker Stryker

said on Tuesday it has contained a cyberattack that

caused widespread disruption to its business and was now

prioritizing restoring systems that directly support customers,

ordering and shipping.

A cyberattack on March 11 had affected Stryker's operations,

hindering order processing, manufacturing and shipments. An

Iran-linked hacking group called Handala claimed responsibility

for the attack the same day, claiming it was retaliation for a

strike on a girls' school in Minab, southern Iran.

Stryker's staff found that cellphones, laptops and other

remote devices that were running Microsoft's Windows operating

system and could connect to its computer platforms had been

impacted by the attack.

No patient-related services and connected medical products

were affected, the company noted, though it did not reveal

details on the financial impact of the attack.

Stryker, which has 56,000 employees

and

operates in 61 countries, said it is coordinating with

appropriate authorities

and

external cybersecurity experts as part of its investigation

into the incident.