A group is attempting to tarnish the reputation of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC for short) after an airline database was hacked and published. (The affected airline makes the situation extra spicy!)

China Airlines has confirmed that the attack did occur and has cross-checked the data posted on the internet with the information it has but has noted some discrepancies. The database of China Airlines’ members includes details of many domestic and foreign politicians, business people, and celebrities, and the hackers have not asked for a ransom. Still, the group has asked the affected individuals to sue to bring the airline into compliance with European Union data protection law, for example. The group added some compensation should also be paid to the affected individuals.

China Airlines has been unable to confirm the source of the leaks and has launched a preliminary investigation into the matter. The data match rate is not 100%, leading the airline to suspect that the source might be something else. The hackers have 3 million consumers’ data and will periodically publish details to confirm the authenticity of the information. Among them are TSMC founder and chairman Dr. Morris Chang, former CEO, and Dr. Mark Liu, the current chairman. Other people involved include Terry Gou (founder of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, better known as Foxconn), Lai Qingde (Vice Chairman of Foxconn), Ming-Kai Tsai (chairman of MediaTek), and Hai Yingjun (head of Delta Electronics).

Lai Ching-te (Vice President of Taiwan), Wang Kwo-Tsai (Minister of Transport), Joseph Wu (Minister of Foreign Affairs), and Hsiao Bi-Khim (Taiwan’s Deputy Representative to the United States) are among the victims. Celebrities include Lin Chi-Ling (model and actress), Vivian Hsu (singer), Cheryl Yang (actress), Clara Chou (journalist), and Jaw Shaw-Kong (politician-turned-anchorwoman).

China Airlines has checked all its systems to ensure no security breaches. It emailed everyone to say it was a good idea to change passwords frequently. It added that it was against the law to distribute the leaked information. Regulators have asked the airline to conduct a thorough security review of its systems to prevent a similar incident from happening again. The airline received a letter from the hackers in early January informing it of the breach.

How embarrassing.

Source: WCCFTech