Intel is dealing with an uncomfortable leak after accusing former software engineer Jinfeng Luo of stealing around 18,000 confidential company files. These included documents labelled “Top Secret,” according to a report in The Mercury News. Luo joined Intel in 2014 and was notified of his termination in July 2024. What looked like a routine departure has now turned into a corporate hunt for sensitive data.
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Blocked once, successful later
Intel’s internal monitoring reportedly caught Luo trying to copy restricted files a week before his departure. Security controls blocked that attempt, but Luo did not stop there. Three days before leaving, he is said to have transferred the documents to a personal network attached storage device. Intel detected the transfer shortly after he left and began trying to reach him. Phone calls, emails, and letters all went unanswered, and Luo has yet to acknowledge the accusations.
Intel pushes ahead with legal action
The company has now filed a lawsuit seeking $250,000 in damages and the full return of all stolen files. Intel has been through a similar scenario before. A previous employee was found guilty of taking confidential files before taking a job at Microsoft. These cases highlight how difficult it can be for large tech firms to secure internal data when employees move on.
Intel declined to comment on the ongoing case.
A troubling silence
At the time of writing, Luo’s whereabouts are unknown. He has not responded to Intel or to investigators. Without cooperation, recovering the stolen files may be a long process. For Intel, the fact that the breach involved material marked “Top Secret” only intensifies concern about what could happen if those documents surface elsewhere.
A company navigating its own recovery
This legal battle comes at a moment when Intel is finally seeing signs of financial stability. Revenue climbed three percent year over year in the most recent quarter after a long period of flat or negative results. Investor sentiment is improving as well. Shares are up seventy eight percent over the past three months, although the current trading price of $38.85 is still well below the highs Intel enjoyed in 2021.
The new lawsuit underscores how fragile internal security can be, even at established chipmakers, and how a single insider incident can escalate quickly into a high stakes legal fight.
