Chipmaker maker ASML was robbed in China by a former employee. Employee brought information about technology from Veldhoven company, annual report writes ASML.
“The incident happened recently,” a company spokesperson said. “The investigation is still ongoing, so we can’t go into details yet.” ASML reported the incident to authorities in the US and the Netherlands.
It also had to be reported in the US, as the theft may have violated US export regulations. ASML has become more and more a part of geopolitics between the United States and China. Chips and sawdust machines play an important role in this.
“We see increased security risks due to our unique position in the chip industry and rising geopolitical tensions,” the company admits. For example: “Ransomware and phishing attacks aimed at obtaining intellectual property or disrupting business continuity.”
Extremely annoying
The company said at first glance that the incident did not have any impact on its business operations. “It is particularly frustrating that this is due to our own employees,” the spokesperson says.
In 2015, ASML was once robbed by its own employees, then in Silicon Valley. American and Chinese perpetrators later sold the information to rival Xtal.
There were rumors at the time that the Chinese government was involved in the theft. ASML was strongly opposed. After the investigation and trial, there was no indication of this either. “Former employees and Xtal wanted to enrich themselves with theft,” the company said at the time.
The Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation said in his response that he found the theft at the company alarming. “ASML is doing its best to secure its valuable technology. This is in our interest. Therefore, it is very worrying that such a large and reputable company is the target of corporate espionage.”
Source: NOS
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
