Indian authorities have launched a wide-ranging investigation into a major data breach at Tata Electronics, Apple's primary supplier in India, which resulted in the leaking of highly confidential documents and information about the iPhone 18 Pro ahead of its official market release. The leaked data included sensitive lists containing supplier names and the phone's internal components.
It also included digital images of prototypes and mock-ups of both the iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone 18 Pro Max, according to Reuters. The security breach poses a direct threat to the strict confidentiality policy that Apple imposes on its global supply chains, as the leaked data contains no fewer than 6 files that precisely identify the companies responsible for manufacturing specific parts of the two models.
In an attempt to contain the fallout from the crisis, Tata has engaged a global security consultant to conduct a comprehensive digital forensic audit of its networks, particularly after it emerged that the cyberattack also affected confidential documents and files belonging to other technology companies, including Tesla, Qualcomm, and TSMC.