Digital Forensics Dispatch

Computer Manufacturer Acer Investigating Data Breach and Leak

March 9, 2023

According to a recent post on BleepingComputer.com, Acer, the Taiwanese computer and component manufacturer, has confirmed that it has experienced a data breach after a server holding the company’s documents used by repair technicians was apparently hacked.

The company’s confirmation of the data breach followed a bad actor’s announcement on a popular hacking forum that they were selling approximately 160GB of data stolen from Acer in February 2023. However, Acer states that, according to its ongoing forensic investigation, this breach and subsequent data leak does not affect any customer data.

The data apparently contains technical manuals, software tools, backend infrastructure details, ISO files, and documentation for Acer devices such as tablets, and laptops, among other things. The poster offering the data for sale included a sample document and schematics for an Acer display, as proof of the data’s origins.

According to the article, Acer previously experienced two other incidents in March and October 2021, resulting in significant breaches. While investigations are ongoing, Acer has assured the public that it is taking the appropriate measures to minimize the risk of similar incidents occurring in the future.

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