The sole source for the iPhone’s main processor has found itself the victim of a computer virus that has infected its fabrication tools. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) has indicated the infection had been contained, with the exact level of infection varying from factory to factory. A statement from the company also indicated the virus was not introduced into the production environment by a hacker.
Speaking to Bloomberg News, TSMC Chief Financial Officer Lora Ho said, “TSMC has been attacked by viruses before, but this is the first time a virus attack has affected our production lines.” The source of the virus, and the reason for targeting TSMC, remains unclear. The nature of the attack has drawn comparisons to the 2017 WannaCry cyberattacks that shut down companies around the world as they attempted to contain the ransomware.
According to the World Economic Forum, the costs of cybercrime to businesses could reach $8 trillion over the next five years.
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