Cyber Incident Victim: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
Date:
Nov 2019
Location:
Brazil
Summary
The official Twitter account of Huawei Brazil was compromised, resulting in offensive tweets mocking Apple and Brazilian consumers' inability to afford the company's smartphones. After removing the posts, the organization attributed the incident to a hack and publicly acknowledged pricing concerns in Brazil by pledging future discounts to improve affordability, though no technical details of the breach were disclosed.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 3 motives | 1 technique |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On November 27, 2019, the official Twitter account of Huawei Brazil posted offensive content targeting competitor Apple and Brazilian consumers. The tweets, written in Portuguese, mocked individuals in Brazil who could not afford Huawei smartphones and directly insulted Apple with explicit language, concluding with the phrase "We are the best!" One tweet included blurred profanity in a screenshot later circulated online. The messages contradicted Huawei’s typical corporate communications and were swiftly deleted after gaining attention. The incident occurred during a period of heightened rivalry between Huawei and Apple in global smartphone markets, particularly in regions like Brazil where premium device pricing limited accessibility.
Huawei Brazil responded by attributing the tweets to unauthorized access, stating its account had been hacked. The company did not disclose technical details of the breach, such as intrusion methods or compromised credentials. As a secondary action, Huawei acknowledged the underlying criticism of its pricing strategy in Brazil, pledging expanded discounts for customers during the upcoming Black Friday sales period. This commitment implicitly recognized market concerns about device affordability. The incident generated media coverage questioning the hacking claim’s plausibility, as the attacker’s actions exclusively disparaged competitors without apparent financial motives or data theft. No further malicious activity linked to the breach was reported, and Huawei maintained its stance attributing responsibility to external actors while focusing on promotional adjustments to address consumer feedback.