American chip giant Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) announced that it has launched a probe of a data breach carried out by a cybercriminal group called Intelbroker that led to several private documents and information being stolen which occurred early this month.
In a statement to media outlets, the company spokesperson said that it is working closely with the authorities and a third-party hosting partner to investigate the impact of the breach.
Intelbroker claims to have accessed various types of information, including ROMs, firmware, source code, property files, and databases containing employee and customer details. Additionally, it asserted having obtained financial information, future AMD product plans, and technical specification sheets.
The breach was discovered after Intelbroker posted screenshots of the data it stole on Breach Forums, an infamous hacking site on the dark web where cybercriminals discuss various hacking methods and sell stolen data. In addition to the data posted on BreachForums, Intelbroker further posted that it will sell the data to interested parties in exchange they must be paid in XMR, a cryptocurrency.
This is not the first time that AMD has suffered a cyber-attack. A cybercriminal group called RansomHouse stole 450GB worth of data from the company in 2022
Repercussions of the data breach
The data breach is considered a blow to AMD and to the chip industry as a whole. The leak of personal data of employees and customers will make them vulnerable to future cybercrimes, while the leak of technical documents could harm its competitive position. The incident also raises concerns about the vulnerability of chip making companies to cyber-attacks and the need for robust cybersecurity measures.
Cybercriminals are getting sophisticated with the advancements of technology. That is why companies such as AMD must remain vigilant and invest in robust cybersecurity measures to protect their sensitive data and maintain the trust of their customers and employees.
