Tata Technologies Ransomware Attack: 1.4TB of Data Gone Walkabout

7 Mar

If you’re wondering why supply chain security keeps getting mentioned in cybersecurity circles, here’s a big shiny example from 2025 — Tata Technologies, a key player in automotive and aerospace engineering, has been royally shafted by a ransomware attack. The gang behind it, Hunters International, didn’t just have a cheeky poke around. They claimed to have walked off with a 1.4 terabyte haul containing over 730,000 files — allegedly including work for Airbus, Ford, Jaguar, and Honda.

This is the kind of breach that triggers boardroom panic, client fury, and a very expensive incident response bill. If your business touches Tata Technologies anywhere along the supply chain, congratulations — you’ve just become part of the problem, whether you like it or not.

What Happened – The Timeline of Oh Shit

Late January 2025: Tata Technologies disclosed a ransomware attack impacting certain IT systems. They downplayed it (as companies love to do), claiming only a “few assets” were affected, no client work was disrupted, and the situation was being “investigated with experts.”
March 3, 2025: Enter Hunters International, stage left. They proudly listed Tata Technologies on their darknet leak site, complete with a 1.4TB data listing and a convenient countdown to “pay up or we leak the lot.”
March 2025 (present): Tata Technologies is still pretending it can keep quiet while the world watches to see if Airbus’ next jet engine design lands on a hacker forum.

Who the Hell are Hunters International?

If you’re not familiar with Hunters International, don’t worry — they’re a fresh face with old tricks. They popped up in late 2023 after Hive Ransomware (remember them?) got its infrastructure seized. Many researchers think Hunters International is basically Hive with a new coat of paint — same tactics, same techniques, and the same absolute lack of morals.

These bastards are particularly fond of double extortion — encrypting your systems and stealing your data at the same time. If you refuse to pay, they leak your data to the world. And in Tata’s case, that data could include everything from proprietary engineering schematics to juicy corporate emails.

Why This Breach Matters to Everyone — Not Just Tata

Here’s the kicker — if you work with Tata Technologies, your data might now be floating around the dark web too. That includes intellectual property, sensitive contracts, project plans, and even employee data. This isn’t just Tata’s mess — it’s potentially Airbus’, Ford’s, Honda’s, and Jaguar’s mess too.

This is exactly why supply chain security is no longer optional. It’s 2025 — you can’t just check your own locks and call it a day. You need to know that every vendor, partner, and contractor you work with takes security as seriously as you do. Because when they get breached, your secrets are part of the loot.

The WTF Moment – 1.4TB Walked Out the Door

Let’s pause for a moment and appreciate the sheer scale of incompetence it takes to let 1.4 terabytes of sensitive data quietly leave the building. That’s not some minor “whoopsie” — that’s enough data to fill about 300,000 average Word documents, 700,000 CAD drawings, or 2.8 million confidential emails.

If your data exfiltration alerts don’t start screaming bloody murder the moment anything over 100GB tries to leave, your SOC is either asleep or non-existent. Either Tata’s detection systems failed miserably, or Hunters International are Olympic-level sneaky bastards. Either way — that’s unacceptable for a company this size.

The Supply Chain Fallout – Who Else is in Trouble?

When a supplier like Tata gets hit, it doesn’t just stop at Tata. Every client whose data passed through their systems has to assume they’ve been compromised. Airbus, Ford, Honda, Jaguar — if you’re on that list, you’re now scrambling to answer:

What data did we give Tata?
Was any of it sensitive or proprietary?
Do we need to alert regulators or shareholders?
Could competitors get access to our designs?
Is our IP now on sale for £10 on a hacking forum?

If you think Hunters International won’t happily sell off car designs to a rival manufacturer in China, you need to get out more.

What Tata Has (or Hasn’t) Said

Tata Technologies have been remarkably quiet since the ransomware crew outed them. Their initial disclosure to the stock exchange was bland corporate waffle — “we’re investigating, only minor systems affected, all fine here.” But they’ve said nothing since the 1.4TB claim went public.

That silence speaks volumes. Either they’re negotiating behind the scenes (risky) or they’re desperately hoping this blows over (it won’t). Meanwhile, every client they’ve ever touched is reviewing contracts and calling their lawyers.

What Every Business Needs to Do

This isn’t just Tata’s lesson — it’s a wake-up call for every business that relies on third-party suppliers and partners. Here’s what you need to be doing right fucking now:

1. Review Your Supply Chain Security

Do your suppliers have any meaningful security certifications (ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials Plus)?
Do you audit their security regularly, or just assume they know what they’re doing?
Do your contracts require them to notify you immediately if they get breached?

2. Limit Data Sharing

Only share the absolute minimum data necessary for a supplier to do their job.
If you’re handing over entire engineering schematics, encrypt the bloody files.

3. Demand Transparency After Incidents

If a supplier gets hit, you should be first to know — not reading about it on some darknet leak site.
Require full disclosure of what data was accessed, how they were breached, and what they’re doing to prevent a repeat performance.

4. Check Your Own Defences

Assume that if your supplier gets hit, phishing and supply chain attacks aimed at you are next.
Train staff to expect fake emails, bogus invoices, and social engineering attacks linked to the breach.

5. Plan Your Incident Response — Including Supply Chain Breaches

When a supplier gets compromised, how does that impact your own regulatory and legal obligations?
Do you need to notify customers or regulators? If so, how fast can you do it?
Do you have a ready-to-go comms template for this scenario, or will you be writing panicked emails at 2am?

Final Thought – Treat Your Suppliers’ Security Like Your Own

Tata Technologies’ breach isn’t just Tata’s problem — it’s a textbook case study in why supply chain security matters. If you’re relying on suppliers without actively checking their cyber hygiene, you’re playing Russian Roulette with your own data. And when they screw up (like Tata just did), you’re part of the blast radius.

The lesson is simple: Trust, but verify. And when in doubt, verify again.

Noel Bradford

Noel Bradford – Head of Technology at Equate Group, Professional Bullshit Detector, and Full-Time IT Cynic

As Head of Technology at Equate Group, my job description is technically “keeping the lights on,” but in reality, it’s more like “stopping people from setting their own house on fire.” With over 40 years in tech, I’ve seen every IT horror story imaginable—most of them self-inflicted by people who think cybersecurity is just installing antivirus and praying to Saint Norton.

I specialise in cybersecurity for UK businesses, which usually means explaining the difference between ‘MFA’ and ‘WTF’ to directors who still write their passwords on Post-it notes. On Tuesdays, I also help further education colleges navigate Cyber Essentials certification, a process so unnecessarily painful it makes root canal surgery look fun.

My natural habitat? Server rooms held together with zip ties and misplaced optimism, where every cable run is a “temporary fix” from 2012. My mortal enemies? Unmanaged switches, backups that only exist in someone’s imagination, and users who think clicking “Enable Macros” is just fine because it makes the spreadsheet work.

I’m blunt, sarcastic, and genuinely allergic to bullshit. If you want gentle hand-holding and reassuring corporate waffle, you’re in the wrong place. If you want someone who’ll fix your IT, tell you exactly why it broke, and throw in some unsolicited life advice, I’m your man.

Technology isn’t hard. People make it hard. And they make me drink.

https://noelbradford.com