In January, reports of a successful hacker attack on Apple supplier Luxshare caused a stir. Secret Apple documents are also said to have been in the data loot – although there was never any official confirmation of this, only the hacker group’s claim (see report). However, according to security specialists, it is quite likely that 3D product models, circuit board designs and architectural drawings actually ended up in unauthorized hands. Now Foxconn is also reporting that a data leak attack was carried out. Unlike Lushare back then, Foxconn speaks openly about the incident. Huge scope – if it’s true
The claim by the ransomware group Nitrogen is particularly explosive. Foxconn listed this on its leak page and claims to have stolen 8 TB of data with more than 11 million files. This should include confidential instructions, internal project documentation and technical drawings for projects from Intel, Apple, Google, Dell and Nvidia. Although Foxconn confirmed the attack on American plants, there is a lack of information as to whether Nitrogen’s statements are true.
The information provided by data blackmailers should always be treated with caution. Such ransomware groups regularly exaggerate the volume and explosiveness of stolen data in order to put pressure on victims. It is not uncommon for it to turn out afterwards that there is significantly less material – and not necessarily usable information.
Foxconn speaks of countermeasures but does not provide any further details
According to Foxconn, the security team immediately activated countermeasures to maintain production and delivery. The affected plants have therefore already returned to normal operations. However, additional internal investigations are required for further details. For this reason, Foxconn does not want to comment further at the moment, although it can be assumed that the inquiries from Apple, Google and Co. will be much more persistent than those from press representatives.
