Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, booked losses of NT$2.6 billion (US$84.29 million) after a computer virus affected operations in August, a financial statement submitted on Tuesday to the Taiwan Stock Exchange showed.
The shortfall was much less than company estimates of US$253.5 million to US$256.5 million.
On Aug. 5, TSMC said that the virus might take away 3 percent of its third-quarter revenue, with an estimate of US$NT$8.45 billion to US$8.55 billion.
WannaCry, a worm that is known for its ability to spread rapidly, infected some of TSMC’s fab tools, including the most advanced 7-nanometer equipment, via the company’s private network on Aug. 3, it said.
The affected tools were recovered by Aug. 6, the company said.
TSMC said it booked most of the damage in its third-quarter financial statement.
The impact would be minor this quarter, as the company has recovered most delayed wafer shipments, it said.
To prevent similar incidents, the chipmaker has implemented an automated system to guarantee foolproof execution, TSMC president Wei Che-chia (魏哲家) said last month.
The company also enhanced firewall control for fab isolation and improved the network control of each computer, Wei said.
More enhancements are to be implemented to further improve tool immunity against viruses, he said.
In its financial statement, TSMC said that it was contacted on Sept. 28 last year by the European Commission to provide information and documents concerning alleged anti-competitive practices in relation to semiconductor sales.
As the proceedings are still in a preliminary stage, it is premature to predict how the case would proceed, its outcomes or its effect, the company said.
Meanwhile, TSMC said it has also entered into long-term purchase agreements for silicon wafers with multiple suppliers to secure sufficient supply amid supply constraints.
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