Intel Sues Ex-Employee Over Alleged Theft of 18,000 Sensitive Files
Intel is suing a former employee, Jinfeng Luo, for the alleged theft of a large amount of sensitive company data. OregonLive reported that the theft allegedly took place shortly after Luo, who joined Intel in 2014, was served with the layoff notice.
The Allegations Surrounding Data Theft
As reported, the act could have begun after Luo's last working day was set for July 31. According to Intel, on July 23, Luo tried to download a file to his external hard drive from his work laptop, under which circumstance the action was blocked by security controls. However, the company alleges that five days later, on July 28, Luo was able to connect a different device and download approximately 18,000 files from Intel's internal database, which purportedly included "top secret" information.
Intel's Litigation and the Reliefs Sought
Following the incident of file transfer, Intel conducted an investigation, presenting the resulting evidence against Luo. The company has since filed the lawsuit against him after unsuccessfully attempting to reach Luo at his Seattle address. Intel is claiming damages amounting to $250,000 for losses incurred as a direct consequence of Luo's actions. It is also seeking a court injunction prohibiting Luo from disclosing or using any of the sensitive documents allegedly stolen by him.
Status and Possible Consequences
The proceedings are in an early phase, and Jinfeng Luo has not made an initial public statement asserting his innocence against the accusations. Other variables affecting the incident could be the recent round of layoffs at Intel, which may not have reassured employees. Given that Intel has classified the information as top secret, this is quite a serious breach of security for the company.
