Apple supplier Tata Electronics tightens security after data breach

The response protocols were deployed immediately, and the incident has had no impact on our operations across businesses, which remain unaffected, the company said

Apple supplier Tata Electronics has tightened security controls and restricted employee access to internal systems following a recent data breach, Reuters reported on Friday.

 

The move follows the company's statement on Monday that it had detected a recent cybersecurity incident. The disclosure came after security researchers said the ransomware group World Leaks had posted what it claimed were component design and specification documents related to Apple and Tesla, both customers of Tata Electronics.

 

"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," the company said in a statement to Reuters.

 

According to Reuters, the leak also contains at least 16 files and folders of purported documents from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) and 23 from Qualcomm, both of which make parts used in iPhones.

 

The researchers told Reuters that the ransomware group had uploaded more than 200,000 files to the dark web. Tata Electronics has also received a ransom demand following the breach, a source familiar with the incident was quoted as saying by Reuters.

 

Apple is investigating the breach, and a full analysis is underway, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. Tata has also hired a global consultant to conduct a forensic audit and has reported the incident to the Indian government and its clients, a company source told Reuters.

 

According to the Tata source, as well as two others familiar with the matter, Tata Electronics has tightened internal security protocols at all its facilities and offices to restrict remote access to sensitive internal tools to select employees.

 

Access to such internal tools was easier earlier, the Tata source told Reuters, but now only select people have remote access to these tools. "Tata Electronics has hardened access to its sensitive internal systems," the Tata source was quoted as saying. "The investigation ‌is ongoing."