Foxconn confirms cyber attack on North American facilities

Foxconn has confirmed that several of its North American manufacturing facilities were hit by a cyber attack, raising fresh concerns over cyber security resilience across the region’s advanced manufacturing sector.

The Taiwanese electronics manufacturing giant Hon Hai Technology Group, better known as Foxconn, said affected sites are now “resuming normal production” following the incident, which has been linked to the Nitrogen ransomware group.

The attack reportedly disrupted operations at multiple U.S.-based facilities, with reports pointing to sites in Wisconsin and Texas among those affected. Employees at some locations were reportedly forced to revert to manual processes after internal systems and communications were impacted.

Foxconn is one of the most significant electronics manufacturers operating in North America, producing components and products for several of the world’s largest technology companies. The company has expanded its U.S. manufacturing footprint in recent years amid broader efforts to localise supply chains and strengthen domestic technology production capacity.

The ransomware group behind the attack claims to have stolen more than 8TB of data comprising over 11 million files. According to cyber security reports, the allegedly exfiltrated material includes technical drawings, manufacturing documentation, financial records and customer-related information.

Several major technology firms with substantial North American operations, including Apple, NVIDIA, Intel, Google, Dell and AMD, have reportedly been referenced in samples published by the attackers. However, there has so far been no independent verification confirming the scale or authenticity of all of the claims.

The incident highlights the increasing cyber risk facing North American manufacturers as production environments become more connected through digital technologies, automation and industrial IoT systems.

Manufacturing has become one of the most frequently targeted sectors for ransomware attacks due to the operational disruption caused by downtime. Cyber security analysts warn that manufacturers operating complex, high-throughput production lines are particularly vulnerable because interruptions can rapidly affect supply chains, deliveries and customer commitments.

The attack also comes at a time when governments across North America are encouraging greater domestic manufacturing capacity in sectors including semiconductors, electronics, batteries and clean technologies. As production capabilities expand, cyber security is increasingly being viewed as a core element of industrial resilience.

Researchers cited in reports on the incident said Nitrogen is a relatively new ransomware operation that has emerged over the past two years. Some analysts believe the group’s malware may share similarities with tooling associated with previously active ransomware organisations.

Security researchers have also reportedly identified flaws in the ransomware’s encryption process that can permanently corrupt files, potentially complicating recovery efforts for victims.

Foxconn has not disclosed how attackers gained access to its systems, whether customer data was compromised, or whether ransom negotiations are underway.

The full operational impact on Foxconn’s North American manufacturing network remains unclear as investigations continue.