Frustrated over poor performance reviews, a former Microsoft employee allegedly leaked the company's trade secrets and is now facing criminal charges.
Microsoft's investigators found a French blogger who was known for posting pre-release versions of Windows. Their investigations showed that the former employee, a Russian national Alex Kibkalo, passed confidential documents to the blogger who, according to court documents, admitted to posting them on the Internet, Reuters said. The District Court for the Western District of Washington is looking into the case.
"According to Microsoft's investigation, in July and August 2012, Kibkalo uploaded proprietary software including pre-release software updates of Windows 8 RT and ARM devices, as well as the Microsoft Activation Server Software Development Kit (SDK) to a computer in Washington and subsequently to his personal Windows Live SkyDrive account," Reuters reported.
While Kibkalo reportedly relocated to Russia and was working for a US-technology firm, The Guardian reported that he was arrested in Seattle. It was also said that it was Kibkalo who volunteered to leak the information. The investigations reveal that Kibkalo had told the blogger he would make the leak, despite the blogger pointing out that it was illegal.
Surprisingly, the blogger actually emailed Microsoft the Windows 8 code that Kibkalo gave to him; supposedly, he did so in order to confirm the veracity of the information he received. It was then that Microsoft latched onto the blogger's Hotmail account and found exchanges with Kibkalo, the Guardian said.
The Inquirer reported that Kibkalo started leaking trade secrets after he received poor performance reviews. It added that he may also have leaked internal documents.
In an email statement to Reuters, a Microsoft spokesperson said, "We take protection of our intellectual property very seriously, including cooperating with law-enforcement agencies who are investigating potential criminal actions by our employees or others."
