Tesla Data Breach: Former Employees Found Responsible For Massive Information Leak

At the time of the breach, Tesla was able to identify the former employees responsible for leaking the data.

Former employees of Tesla, the Elon Musk-owned electric car manufacturer, have been identified as responsible for a data breach that compromised the personal information of over 75,000 individuals, including both staff and external parties. This revelation was disclosed by Tesla in a legal statement, reported Reuters.

According to Steven Elentukh, Tesla's data privacy officer, the exposed data from the breach was subsequently leaked to the German media outlet Handelsblatt. In a communication submitted to the office of the Attorney General of Maine, Elentukh indicated that Handelsblatt had informed Tesla about the reception of confidential materials. These materials reportedly contained personally identifiable details such as names, addresses, phone numbers, and social security numbers. The submission, dated August 18, contained this information.

At the time of the breach, Tesla was able to identify the former employees responsible for leaking the data. Legal actions were promptly initiated against these individuals, and their electronic devices were confiscated as part of the process, according to the company's statement.

Under US regulations, companies are mandated to report data breaches of a certain magnitude to relevant authorities. However, the specifics of the law can vary between different states.

This incident involving Tesla occurs following a report by Reuters in April, which highlighted that groups of Tesla employees had engaged in private sharing of customer information. The shared information included videos and images captured by the car's onboard cameras, and these exchanges were facilitated through internal messaging systems.

Meanwhile, a finance ministry top official said in July that the government is not considering any duty waivers for Tesla amid reports about the EV maker planning to enter the Indian market. Revenue Secretary Sanjay Malhotra said that any duty waiver for Tesla is not under active consideration by the Department of Revenue. 

Tesla CEO Elon Musk earlier met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his State Visit to the US. Elon Musk had expressed his confidence in bringing Tesla to the country soon. He described his conversation with Prime Minister Modi as excellent and mentioned the likelihood of a significant investment in India.