%Nvidia ($NVDA), one of the biggest %Semiconductor and microchip designers in the world, has confirmed that a recent %Cybersecurity breach resulted in the theft of company data.
“We are aware that the threat actor took employee credentials and some NVIDIA proprietary information from our systems and has begun leaking it online,” the company said in a statement.
There is no indication that the attack was an instance of ransomware or that it is connected to the war in Ukraine, the company added.
Nvidia reiterated that it does not expect any disruptions to its business operations stemming from the security breach, which was first detected on February 23.
At a market capitalization of $600 billion U.S., Nvidia is the world’s most valuable chipmaker. It is known for its graphics processing units (GPU) that enhance videogaming experiences and advanced computer simulations, notably for artificial intelligence (AI) applications.
Nvidia stopped short of saying what data was stolen. However, the hacker group behind the breach, LAPSUS$, claims it stole 1TB of data, including files about Nvidia hardware and software.
The hackers have been bragging about the theft online and demanding the company pay up in %Cryptocurrency to keep the data secret.
Nvidia has refused to pay and says it is working with law enforcement and cybersecurity experts to respond to the cyberattack.
LAPSUS$ has begun leaking a 19GB archive that allegedly contains information about Nvidia’s software, including the source code to the company’s framerate boosting DLSS technology.
At the same time, the hacking group claims it possesses a GPU driver capable of unlocking Nvidia’s %Ethereum ($ETH) mining limiter on the company’s RTX 3000 graphics cards.