Apple Supplier Tata Electronics Suffers Cyberattack, Over 200,000 Internal Documents Leaked

Apple's supply chain is shaken by a major cyberattack on Tata Electronics, a key partner in India. Reuters reports that more than 200,000 files totaling approximately 630 gigabytes were leaked on the dark web following the breach. The exposed documents include Apple manufacturing details, iPhone motherboard quality control standards, employee passport copies, email correspondence, and system logs collected over several years.

Tata Electronics has restricted internal access to sensitive systems and hired an international consulting firm to conduct a comprehensive forensic investigation. The company has informed Indian authorities and affected clients but has not publicly disclosed their identities. Apple’s security team is actively involved in the investigation, collaborating with Tata to implement immediate and long-term mitigation measures.

The leak extends beyond Apple, with at least 16 documents linked to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), Apple’s chip manufacturer, and 23 documents attributed to Qualcomm, whose components are also used in iPhones. Among the leaked files are a 2022 "TSMC Secret" document detailing reliability tests of a TSMC component, a 2023 Apple Silicon Engineering Group file mapping Apple and TSMC part numbers including employee details, and a 2021 Qualcomm document containing confidential mechanical information about a power management chip marked as potentially containing trade secrets.

It remains unclear if the leaked information has been exploited beyond its publication. The ongoing investigations by Tata and Apple aim to fully assess the breach’s scope and prevent further damage.