Foxconn has reportedly suffered another major cybersecurity breach after a ransomware group claimed responsibility for stealing 8TB of sensitive company data.
The alleged attack targeted several North American facilities operated by the electronics manufacturing giant, which serves as a key supplier for companies including Apple, Google, Dell, and Nvidia.
Network Outages Reportedly Disrupted Operations
According to WIRED, the ransomware group known as Nitrogen claims to have obtained confidential files involving internal company operations, project information, schematics, and other sensitive documents connected to Foxconn's global business.
The cyberattack allegedly caused widespread operational disruptions across multiple Foxconn facilities in North America.
Employees at the company's Mount Pleasant and Wisconsin plants reportedly described a complete network failure affecting internal systems, Wi-Fi access, and day-to-day infrastructure.
Workers were allegedly instructed to immediately shut down computers and avoid reconnecting to company systems while IT teams investigated the situation.
Reports also indicate that digital timecard systems stopped functioning, forcing employees to manually record work hours using paper timesheets.
Additional reports from Apple Insider suggest that Foxconn facilities in Houston, Texas, may have experienced related disruptions tied to the attack.
Hackers Claim To Possess Confidential Company Files
The Nitrogen ransomware group reportedly published sample files online as evidence supporting claims that large amounts of company data were stolen. However, current reports suggest that the leaked materials do not appear to include sensitive Apple-related manufacturing information.
Industry observers noted that the Wisconsin facility primarily focuses on television production and data server manufacturing rather than iPhone assembly, which may explain the absence of Apple hardware-related documents within the published samples.
Foxconn Continues Battling Cybersecurity Threats
The latest incident adds to a growing list of ransomware attacks targeting Foxconn operations over the past several years.
In 2020, hackers attacked a Foxconn facility in Mexico and demanded millions of dollars in Bitcoin, per 9to5Mac.
Foxconn has not publicly confirmed the full scope of the latest cyberattack. However, the company stated that affected facilities are gradually restoring systems and resuming normal production activities as recovery efforts continue.
Other ransomware groups, including LockBit and DoppelPaymer, have also reportedly disrupted operations at Foxconn subsidiaries in separate incidents.
Originally published on Tech Times
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