Intel worker fired, then disappears with 18,000 secret files in digital heist

A former Intel software engineer named Jinfeng Luo has been sued by Intel for $250,000 after allegedly stealing 18,000 confidential files, including data labeled “Intel Top Secret.” Luo joined Intel in 2014 but was fired on July 7, 2024, as part of company-wide layoffs that have eliminated 35,000 jobs in the past two years, as per the report by The Mercury News.

Intel’s mass job cuts are part of a major cost-cutting plan to handle a serious financial crisis that became public in late July and early August 2024. According to the lawsuit, Luo first tried to copy files from his Intel laptop to an external drive about a week before he was set to leave. Intel’s security systems blocked the attempt.

Intel data theft and investigation

Luo then tried again three days before his last day, and this time he successfully transferred the files to a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device, as per the report by tom’s HARDWARE. After that, Luo kept downloading more data until he left the company — this included highly confidential and internal company assets.


Intel’s system detected the data transfers soon after they were completed, and the company launched an internal investigation. Intel said it tried to contact Luo multiple times — through calls, emails, and even postal letters — for more than three months, but he never responded. With Luo missing and unresponsive, Intel finally filed a lawsuit to recover its stolen information and seek $250,000 in damages.

Intel’s past employee data theft case

Luo has not been located and has not replied to any of the allegations so far. This is not the first time Intel has faced an insider data theft case. A former Intel engineer was recently sentenced to two years’ probation and fined $34,000 for copying company data before joining Microsoft, as stated by tom’s HARDWARE. In that earlier case, court documents revealed that Microsoft used the stolen information to gain an advantage in negotiations with Intel.

Intel’s new lawsuit against Luo highlights the company’s growing concern over employee data theft during layoffs and restructuring. The company’s main goal now is to get back the stolen 18,000 files and make sure its “Intel Top Secret” data doesn’t end up being misused.

FAQs

Q1. What did the former Intel employee Jinfeng Luo do?

He allegedly stole 18,000 confidential Intel files, including “Intel Top Secret” data, before leaving the company.

Q2. Why is Intel suing Jinfeng Luo?

Intel is suing him for $250,000 to recover its stolen files and protect its confidential information.