The chipmaker has said that the incident had no impact on its operations, adding that response protocols were deployed immediately
Ransomware group World Leaks has demanded a ransom from the Tata subsidiary for the data, which comprises more than 2 Lakh files totalling over 630 GBs
Besides component design and specification papers of Apple and Tesla, the leaked files also contain emails, event logs spanning several years and passport copies of employees
Electronics manufacturer Tata Electronics has confirmed that it was hit by a cybersecurity incident a few weeks ago. However, the chipmaker claimed that the incident had no impact on its operations.
“A few weeks ago, Tata Electronics identified a cybersecurity incident on some of our systems. Our response protocols were deployed immediately, and the incident has had no impact on our operations across businesses, which remain unaffected,” said a Tata Electronics spokesperson.
This comes close on the heels of data leak website World Leaks reportedly posting component design and specification papers of Tata Electronics’ two major clients, namely Apple and Tesla, on the dark web.
While not much is known about the alleged intrusion, a source told Reuters that the ransomware group has demanded a ransom from the Tata subsidiary for the data, which comprises more than 2 Lakh files totalling over 630 gigabytes (GBs).
As per the report, a database on the ransomware group’s website shows several Apple files and folders, some titled “com.apple.factorydata”, and documents referring to “material specification”. The leaked files also reportedly contain emails, event logs spanning several years and passport copies of employees including foreign nationals.
Among the files was also reportedly a 52-page document detailing quality inspection standards for iPhone circuit board components. Reuters also claimed that the leaked database also had 33 files and folders for search term Hosur, Tata’s main iPhone assembly plant in Tamil Nadu. Notably, Tata reportedly informed some employees at its iPhone assembly vertical of the data breach last week.
Tesla also seems to have emerged as a collateral damage from the leaks. As per the report,
One folder on the World Leaks database was also labelled “NV36 Chargeport Controller – North America”, a reported reference to parts used in Tesla’s Model Y. Another document showed certain internal drawings for the EV maker’s revamped Model 3 sedan.
Meanwhile, a source reportedly said that Apple was probing the breach and a “full analysis was going on”.
Founded in 2020, Tata Electronics has emerged as a key homegrown player in electronics manufacturing and semiconductor production. The company operates facilities across India and employs more than 75,000 people.
This is not the first time that an Indian new-age tech company has been hit by a cyberattack in recent weeks. Earlier this month, Ultrahuman said that it suffered a cybersecurity incident in March, which led to hackers accessing certain personal information of the smart ring maker’s users.
Source: Inc42 - Startups
