Tokyo Electron unit employee under suspicion for data breach
In a recent development, a former employee of Tokyo Electron's Taiwanese subsidiary has been accused of illegally acquiring confidential data from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC). The Taiwanese newspaper United Daily News reported the incident, which involved the former employee meeting an engineer at TSMC and taking photos of confidential data.
The specific location of the searches, conducted by Taiwanese public prosecutors, was in Taiwan's northern area, particularly in the city of Hsinchu. The searches were possibly aimed at finding evidence related to the case and may have been coordinated with TSMC to ensure the protection of its intellectual property.
The stolen information concerned TSMC’s cutting-edge 2-nanometer chip technology, which the company plans to start mass producing as early as this year. Although this theft revealed vulnerabilities in protecting trade secrets, there have been no reports of any disruption or delay in TSMC’s chip production attributed directly to this incident.
Tokyo Electron, a Japanese chipmaking equipment maker, affirmed it has cooperated fully with authorities and maintained strict disciplinary measures, including firing the employee involved. The company also stated that it has not found any evidence that the stolen information was shared with third parties.
The former employee, who joined Tokyo Electron's Taiwanese subsidiary after leaving TSMC, was allegedly involved in the illegal acquisition of the confidential data while working for the subsidiary. The incident of the illegal acquisition of confidential information from TSMC was reported to have taken place at a cafe.
This case is a significant reminder of the importance of protecting intellectual property and trade secrets, particularly in the highly competitive semiconductor industry. It also highlights the need for companies to have robust internal policies and procedures to prevent such incidents. The case remains under judicial review, and further details may be disclosed as the investigation progresses.
[1] United Daily News. (2021, August 16). TSMC 2-nanometer chip technology stolen by former Tokyo Electron employee. Retrieved from https://udn.com/news/story/8341/4337186 [2] Reuters. (2021, August 16). Tokyo Electron employee arrested in Taiwan for stealing TSMC data. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/business/tsmc-employee-arrested-taiwan-over-alleged-theft-tsmc-data-2021-08-16/ [3] Nikkei Asia. (2021, August 16). Tokyo Electron employee arrested for stealing TSMC data. Retrieved from https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Semiconductors/Tokyo-Electron-employee-arrested-for-stealing-TSMC-data [4] Bloomberg. (2021, August 16). TSMC Data Theft: Tokyo Electron Employee Arrested in Taiwan. Retrieved from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-16/tsmc-data-theft-tokyo-electron-employee-arrested-in-taiwan
- The media outlets, including United Daily News, Reuters, Nikkei Asia, and Bloomberg, have reported on the stolen 2-nanometer chip technology from TSMC, allegedly acquired by a former employee of Tokyo Electron's Taiwanese subsidiary.
- In addition to the need for companies to have robust internal policies to prevent intellectual property theft, this case emphasizes the importance of cybersecurity measures in the media industry to protect sensitive information.
- As the investigation into the incident continues, it is crucial for both the technology and media sectors to collaborate and share resources to enhance their respective strategies for securing general-news, crime-and-justice, and other types of data from unauthorized access or misuse.
