After being knocked out of commission over the weekend by a computer virus, iPhone chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) was back up and running on Monday.
According to the manufacturer, the problem was caused by a ransomware attack from the infamous WannaCry ransomware cryptoworm. This ransomware attack first struck in May 2017, requiring victims to pay a bitcoin ransom in order to decrypt their files.
TSMC has said that the attack is likely to cost the firm 2 percent of its third-quarter revenue. It has said that it may result in shipment delays, but reassures clients that no client information was affected.
The virus struck after a new fabrication tool was not taken offline during installation. The worm rapidly spread to more than 10,000 machines at TSMC factories across Taiwan. CEO C.C. Wei told reporters in Taipei that, “This is the first time it happened. I was shocked and surprised.” However, he reiterated that, “such a mistake would never be made again.”
While the company has admitted that some shipments might be delayed, this is unlikely to affect the iPhone. That’s because, as a KGI Securities report sent to clients on Monday noted, “the upstream supply chain usually prepares for these incidents and manufactures surplus chipsets during the initial ramp-up stage.”
Source: Reuters
