NEW DELHI — The Indian government has launched an investigation into a data breach at Tata Electronics after confidential documents tied to Apple’s yet-to-be-released iPhone 18 Pro surfaced on the dark web, the country’s IT secretary confirmed Thursday.
Among the leaked materials are sensitive files identifying which companies manufacture specific components for the iPhone 18 Pro, supplier lists, and photographs of the unreleased handset — details that Apple typically keeps out of its public supplier database.
“We are investigating,” said S. Krishnan, secretary at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, speaking to reporters in what marked the government’s first official public statement on the matter.
Krishnan confirmed the breach has been referred to India’s Computer Emergency Response Team, the agency responsible for handling computer security incidents in the country.
The leak poses a significant threat to the carefully guarded and complex supply chain Apple relies on to build its flagship devices. The company uses a network of suppliers around the world to assemble the iPhone, and such disclosures could expose sensitive business arrangements. Apple is expected to officially unveil the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max this coming September.
The ransomware group responsible for the theft also posted documents belonging to Tesla, Qualcomm, and TSMC on the dark web, according to previous reporting. In response, Tata Electronics has brought in a global consultant to perform a forensic audit of the breach.
