Chipmaking giant TSMC discovers major employee data leak—reports say info was up for sale for three bitcoin on shady forums

TSMC, the world's leading chip manufacturer, has recently uncovered a significant data leak involving the personal information of over 46,000 employees. The incident was disclosed through a Form 6-K filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. According to the company's statement, the data was discovered on an external website without authorization and appears to have originated from a cloud service provider, though the provider's name was not disclosed.

TSMC has assured affected employees that its systems have not been compromised and has taken steps to mitigate the breach, including notifying those impacted, cooperating with law enforcement, and consulting with cybersecurity experts.

Taiwanese media outlet United Daily News reported that the stolen data was being offered for sale on underground forums for the equivalent of three bitcoin. Further investigation revealed that TSMC employee data was also being sold on other online platforms, with a sample containing sensitive personal details such as national ID numbers, addresses, and banking information.

Despite these concerns, TSMC clarified that the leaked data is not connected to its operations or customer-related information. The company has previously faced cybersecurity challenges, one of which involved a ransomware attack in 2023 that was later traced to a third-party supplier. In both instances, TSMC's primary systems remained intact, but external factors appear to have contributed to the leaks.

As the tech industry becomes increasingly interconnected, the risk of data breaches continues to loom over even the most security-conscious organizations.