Supplier of Apple Parts Gets Hacked by Ransomware & Gets Schematics Released
In the wake of Apple’s latest keynote event, where they unveiled their latest products such as the 2021 iMac with an M1 chip as well as the 2021 iPad Pro that features the M1 chip, Apple has recently fallen victim to a ransomware attack and has gotten some schematics to an unreleased MacBook leaked to the public.
Apple relies on other companies to make them the parts they need in order to make the devices that their customers use and love. In order for the parts to get made by 3rd parties, Apple needs to give the schematics on how to make those devices to said 3rd parties. But just like how you told a dark secret to your middle school friend, sometimes those 3rd parties do not keep them safe. That very thing happened to Apple recently.
Apple fell victim to the ransomware group known as “REvil” in a public announcement by the group this past Tuesday on the day of Apple’s Spring-Loaded event. The ransomware group revealed that they have obtained access to the internal systems of Quanta Computer Inc, a company based out of Taiwan. As a result of the attack, REvil managed to obtain 15 schematics of unreleased MacBook models which supposedly include specific component serial numbers, sizes, and capacities that detail many of the parts included inside the upcoming model according to Bloomberg.
While Quanta Computer makes parts and products for companies like HP, they specifically were targeting Apple in this attack. According to REvil’s blog they are demanding that Apple pay them an unknown to the public amount by May 1st or else they will keep releasing the schematics to the public.
According to Quanta Computer, the REvil attack group has encrypted “all local network data” and they won’t give up the key needed to unlock and decrypt those files until the $50 million ransom is paid.
Apple likes to maintain secrecy of their unfinished and unreleased products, but it’s still not known how much of the claims of the REvil group can be verified and if Apple will pay the ransom or not.
