TSMC confirms employee data breach tied to cloud service provider
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has confirmed a data breach affecting current and former employees, which originated from one of its cloud service providers.
The breach was discovered after a hacker offered 6.9 GB of employee data on a cybercriminal forum on November 8, demanding 3 BTC (approximately $200,000) for the information. TSMC filed notice with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday, confirming the incident while emphasizing that no TSMC systems were compromised.
Investigation findings
According to TSMC's investigation, the stolen information 'is verified to match data stored in the system services of a cloud service provider, but is unrelated to the company's operations or customer-related data.' The company has not named the affected cloud provider.
We have been informing impacted personnel and are providing them with necessary support. TSMC has engaged with both the cloud service vendor, the relevant investigating authorities, and a third-party cybersecurity agency to jointly ascertain the facts and take necessary actions.
Company background
TSMC is one of the most profitable companies globally, reporting $122 billion in revenue last year. It controls over 70% of the semiconductor market, supplying major tech companies including Nvidia, Apple, Broadcom, and Qualcomm. The company has faced multiple cyberattacks in recent years, including a ransomware attack in 2023 and an incident last year involving suspected employee theft of trade secrets.
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