Intel has filed a federal lawsuit towards a former worker accused of downloading hundreds of categorized paperwork shortly after being terminated, elevating severe considerations about company information safety and insider threats.
Jinfeng Luo, a software program developer who has labored at Intel since 2014, was based mostly in Seattle when the corporate notified him of his pending dismissal on July 7.
His employment formally ended on July 31 as a part of Intel’s huge workforce discount effort that noticed over 15,000 workers laid off worldwide in the course of the summer time restructuring.
The Alleged Theft
In keeping with Intel’s lawsuit filed in Washington federal court docket, Luo tried to obtain recordsdata from his work laptop computer to an exterior exhausting drive on July 23. Nevertheless, the corporate’s safety controls blocked the switch.
Luo allegedly linked a special storage machine 5 days later and downloaded about 18,000 recordsdata. Many of those recordsdata had been marked as “Prime Secret” by Intel.
The unauthorized file switch instantly triggered an inner investigation. Intel spent months making an attempt to contact Luo at his Seattle residence and two different addresses linked to him, together with one in Portland, however the engineer couldn’t be reached.
Unable to find Luo, Intel pursued authorized motion in search of substantial compensation. The lawsuit calls for not less than $250,000 in damages, legal professional charges, and a court docket injunction prohibiting Luo from disclosing any of the stolen confidential info to unauthorized events.
Neither Intel nor Luo has offered public feedback in regards to the case. The tech large declined to debate particulars when contacted by media shops, and Luo’s present whereabouts stay unknown.
Authorized observers, OregonLive first reported on Intel’s lawsuit earlier this week by specialised regulation and employment information platforms.
The incident highlights important vulnerabilities in defending delicate company information throughout layoffs.
As corporations implement cost-cutting measures affecting hundreds of workers, insider threats pose escalating dangers to mental property and categorized info.
Intel’s case demonstrates how rapidly departing workers can entry and take away delicate supplies earlier than safety measures might be absolutely carried out.
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