Ex-Microsoft programmer arrested and charged with leaking Windows 8 code

[BoraMurdar]

Content source

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Ex-Microsoft-employee-charged-with-passing-5331715.php

A software architect who had worked for Microsoft for seven years was arrested today in Seattle by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He is accused of, among other things, leaking code from Windows 8 prior to the operating system's launch in October 2012.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports that the suspect, Alex Kibkalo, was charged with theft of trade secrets. The FBI claims that he leaked code from Windows 8 in mid-2012 to an unnamed French tech blogger, He is also accused of leaking the company's Activation Server Software Development Kit to the same blogger, which was made to help prevent unauthorized copies of Microsoft software.

The story says that internal Microsoft investigators found out about the leaks and interviewed Kibkalo, who reportedly admitted to his actions. Kibkalo was apparently not happy with a recent performance review of his work while at Microsoft.

In addition to the Windows 8 and the software activation kit, Kibkalo is also accused of leaking code from Windows 7 prior to its launch while he worked at Microsoft. He reportedly told the unnamed blogger that he snuck inside a building at the company's Redmond, Washington campus to copy the files.

 

[BoraMurdar]

And that's the how pirated Windows activators works ^^

 

[pcjunklist]

nothing the NSA didn't know about already

 

[SifhX]

Ahah excellent now pirates will have to works for real if they want to crack the next windows , or maybe Kidkalo was not alone inside Microsoft

 

[Deleted member 178]

come on...Microsoft "unaware" about leakings, so a simple architect can disclose the whole code... if i owned Microsoft , only part of the code will be given to each software development unit.

Microsoft let the leaks , because even if people dont buy the OS , it is better that they use a cracked version instead using Linux, chromeOS , IOS and others, gaining more market shares.

golden rule of Umbra: "don't look where they tell you to look but where they don't"

 

[Ink]

I understand the whole seriousness of theft of trade secrets. But the FBI involved? Obviously Windows 8 is Government-spyware.

 

[SifhX]

I understand the whole seriousness of theft of trade secrets. But the FBI involved? Obviously Windows 8 is Government-spyware.

The FBI is against Cybercriminality, including leakage / spy / theft of technology , unless the NSA is not involved in the investigation, it's quite normal.

 

[gerardm24]

I thought that Microsoft is so on top of things. It took them a pretty long time to uncover this so-called transgression.