Ransomware attack affects production at a Foxconn factory in Mexico

Foxconn, one of the world’s biggest contract electronics manufacturers, has been hit with a ransomware attack on one of its facilities in Mexico. Talking to Bleeping Computer, the company explained, “one of our factories in Mexico experienced a ransomware cyberattack in late May. The company's cybersecurity team has been carrying out the recovery plan accordingly.”

The affected factory, which is located in Tijuana, serves as a major supply center for California, United States. To ensure production isn’t hampered by the hack, Foxconn has decided to adjust the production capacity of the factory. The company has also shared details of the attack with the management, clients, and suppliers.

While Foxconn hasn’t officially identified the perpetrators, a ransomware group known as LockBit has claimed responsibility for the breach. The group posted an ultimatum on May 31, that if Foxconn doesn’t comply with the demands by June 11, it will publish the files.

Foxconn’s Mexico factories produce mobile phones, LCD TVs, computers, and set-top boxes. As such the manufacturer may have sensitive documents about unreleased products and production plans which can end up in the wrong hands if LockBit proceeds to leak the files.

This is not the first time that a ransomware group has targeted Foxconn’s Mexico-based facilities. The company’s CTBG MX facility in Ciudad Juárez suffered a similar attack in December 2020 by the DoppelPaymer ransomware gang.

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