Key Insight:
A former Intel software engineer, Jinfeng Luo, is accused of stealing approximately 18,000 proprietary files—including data labeled as “Intel Top Secret”—immediately prior to his termination in July 2025. Luo, who began working at Intel in 2014, received his dismissal notice on July 7, with employment set to end July 31. Intel, amid widespread layoffs, discovered Luo’s unauthorized downloading activity and has since been unable to contact him, prompting a $250,000 lawsuit to recover the stolen information and prevent further disclosure.
The incident underscores vulnerabilities in corporate offboarding and data protection even at major technology firms, highlighting persistent risks during periods of workforce reduction and industry upheaval.
Background:
Intel is undergoing a significant workforce reduction, with 35,000 jobs cut over two years due to financial challenges first revealed in mid-2024. The company alleges that Luo attempted to transfer files from his company laptop to external storage just before termination; after failed initial attempts, he ultimately succeeded in copying the data to a NAS three days before his departure. Despite repeated efforts to reach Luo in Seattle and Portland, Intel has received no response and now seeks damages and legal intervention. The incident follows previous cases of ex-Intel employees illegally copying company secrets for career advances at rival firms such as Microsoft.
Network Attached Storage (NAS) is a dedicated file storage system connected to a network that allows multiple users and devices to access and share data from a centralized storage location over a local area network.
Credit Tomshardware