Tata Electronics, a major Indian supplier to Apple, has restricted internal access to sensitive systems while it investigates a leak of thousands of confidential client files on the dark web, according to a Tata source and two industry officials, Reuters reports.
The company has also hired a global consultant to perform a forensic audit and has notified the Indian government and its clients about the incident, the Tata source said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Munsif Vengattil and Aditya Kalra for Reuters:
Reuters reported this week that ransomware group World Leaks posted more than 200,000 files to the dark web, including purported component design papers from Apple and Tesla, both of which are Tata clients. Reuters could not verify the authenticity of the data.
Tata has said it had identified a “cybersecurity incident” and there was no impact on operations, without providing additional details.
Reuters found that 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.
After it detected the breach, Tata Electronics tightened internal security protocols at all its facilities and offices to restrict remote access to sensitive internal tools, such as those used to place purchase orders, only to select employees, said the Tata source and two people briefed on the matter.
Earlier, access to such internal tools was more liberal, the Tata source said, adding that while work-from-home is still allowed, “only select people have remote access” to such tools. The changes apply to Tata Electronics broadly and are not restricted to a few factories.
“Tata Electronics has hardened access to its sensitive internal systems,” the Tata source said. “The investigation is ongoing.”
MacDailyNews Take: Uh, better late than never, we guess?
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All you ever read after a security breach is we are going to tighten up our security. Why not before the damn breach?
Something about the horse and the barn door…