Laid-Off Intel Engineer Allegedly Stole 18,000 Confidential Files Before Disappearing

Intel is currently undergoing a massive wave of layoffs. Over the past few years, the chipmaker has eliminated as many as 35,000 positions, and among those affected was Jinfeng Luo, who joined Intel in 2014 as an engineer.

On July 7, 2024, Luo received a notice of termination, requiring him to leave the company by the end of that month. In the remaining days of his employment, he allegedly downloaded 18,000 internal Intel files before disappearing. Intel has since filed a lawsuit against him, seeking to investigate the data breach and demand financial compensation.

According to the complaint, a few days before his departure, Luo attempted to copy company files from his corporate laptop to an external storage device. However, Intel’s security systems blocked the transfer. Three days before his official exit, Luo tried again—this time successfully transferring the data to a NAS device.

During his final days at the company, Luo reportedly copied as many confidential Intel documents as he could access, some of which were explicitly labeled “Intel Confidential.” He then left the company, and the incident began to surface between late July and early August 2024.

Although Intel quickly detected the breach, Luo had already departed. The company attempted to contact him for over three months regarding the data leak—through phone calls, emails, and even postal letters—but he never responded. With no alternative, Intel chose to pursue legal action.

At present, Luo’s whereabouts remain unknown. Without locating him, Intel’s lawsuit may prove ineffective. Nonetheless, by filing the case, the company could seek a court injunction or, in more serious circumstances, appeal to international authorities to assist in tracking him down.

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