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TSMC confirms employee data leak tied to cloud vendor as hacker demands 3 BTC

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company confirmed that personal records of current and former employees were leaked through a third-party cloud provider, though internal networks and production remain unaffected.

The TSMC logo mounted on the exterior wall of a building against a blue sky.
Image: @WuBlockchain

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) confirmed that personal information belonging to certain current and former staff was exposed without authorization, following reports that a seller had listed an employee database on an underground forum, according to reports from Jiemian News.[1][3][4]

The dark-web listing reportedly involves a 6.9GB database containing approximately 46,000 employee records, offered for sale at a price of 3 bitcoin, valued at around $220,000. TSMC noted that the leaked data matches an external cloud vendor's system rather than its own internal network.[2][3][4]

The semiconductor manufacturer stated that its internal IT infrastructure was not breached, and both customer data and chip manufacturing operations remain completely unaffected. The company is notifying impacted personnel while collaborating with the cloud vendor, law enforcement, and third-party cybersecurity firms to investigate the incident.[2][3][4]

Key facts

  • A seller posted an alleged 6.9GB database containing 46,000 TSMC employee records on a dark-web forum for 3 bitcoin.
  • TSMC confirmed on November 12 that personal data of certain current and former employees was exposed without authorization.
  • Preliminary investigations link the data leak to a third-party cloud service provider rather than TSMC's internal network.
  • TSMC said its internal systems, production operations, and customer data were not compromised.
  • The company stated it is notifying impacted employees and working with law enforcement, cybersecurity firms, and the vendor on an investigation.

Sources 路 4 sources

  1. WI

    Whale Insider@WhaleInsiderPost on X 路

    JUST IN: 馃嚬馃嚰 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company $TSMC confirms hacker obtained employee data and demanded 3 BTC - Jiemian News. https://t.co/KalIF1DnqD

    Open source
  2. CO

    Cointelegraph@CointelegraphPost on X 路

    馃嚬馃嚰 LATEST: Chipmaker giant TSMC confirmed an employee data leak linked to a cloud provider. A seller reportedly asked 3 BTC for 46,000 alleged employee records. TSMC found no evidence of an internal breach. https://t.co/dcK7OYLFZm

    Open source
  3. AG

    AGTP@AGTPinsightsPost on X 路

    TSMC just confirmed an employee data leak tied to a third-party cloud provider. Here's what you need to know. TSMC responded on November 12 to reports that a hacker was trying to sell an alleged employee database. The seller reportedly claimed the data was stolen from a cloud vendor. The listing reportedly appeared on a dark-web forum. It is said to hold records on about 46,000 current and former TSMC employees, in a 6.9GB database. TSMC says some staff data did show up on outside sites. It says the data matches a cloud vendor's system. It found no evidence that its own systems were breached. The company also says its internal systems, production operations and customer data are unaffected. So far there is no reported impact on chip production. Key numbers: - 46,000 alleged employee records - 6.9GB of data - 3 BTC asking price, roughly $220,000 - Bitcoin was trading near $72,867 The seller wants payment in bitcoin, and the leak traces back to a vendor, not to TSMC's own network.

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  4. WB

    Wu Blockchain@WuBlockchainPost on X 路

    TSMC Confirms Hacker Obtained Employee Data and Demanded 3 BTC, Says Internal Systems Uncompromised According to Jiemian News, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) responded on November 12 to reports of a hacker attempting to sell an alleged 6.9GB database containing 46,000 TSMC employee records on an underground forum for 3 BTC; TSMC confirmed that personal data belonging to certain current and former employees was exposed without authorization, noting that preliminary investigations link the leaked records to a third-party cloud service provider's system rather than an intrusion into TSMC's own internal IT infrastructure. The chipmaker emphasized that production operations and customer data remain completely unaffected, adding that it is notifying impacted staff and working closely with the cloud vendor, law enforcement, and external cybersecurity firms to investigate the breach.

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