美國晶片巨頭英特爾（Intel）近日捲入一起嚴重的內部資料竊取事件，案件的涉事對象是已被裁員的前軟體工程師。該事件因涉及高達1.8 萬份公司內部機密文件的非法下載與失聯，引起科技業界與資安領域的高度震動。英特爾已正式對該名前員工提出訴訟，要求至少25萬美元的賠償，並要求其立即歸還所有被竊取資料。

根據美國法院公佈的訴訟文件，這名涉事員工名為羅錦峰（Jinfeng Luo），自 2014 年加入英特爾，長期擔任軟體工程師，主要負責與研發相關的技術開發工作。去年 7 月 7 日，英特爾通知他即將被裁員，並要求於當月底正式離職。然而，就在這段離職前的過渡期間，他竟開始大量下載英特爾內部資料，行為極為可疑。

根據英特爾在訴訟書中的指控，羅錦峰共下載約 18,000份檔案，其中不僅包含一般內部資料，還有大量標註為 「Top Secret（絕密）」 的文件。這些文件涉及英特爾的核心研發項目、產品設計資料、先進製程技術、商業策略以及專有演算法，屬於公司最高等級的保密資訊。英特爾指出，若這些資料外流，將對公司造成無法估量的經濟損失與競爭風險。

訴訟文件進一步揭露，羅錦峰在最初嘗試將資料從公司筆記型電腦轉移至外部硬碟時，遭英特爾的資安系統攔截並記錄行為。但在離職前三天，他改變方式，將資料成功轉移到一台個人使用的NAS（網路附加儲存設備） 中，並在最後的工作時段繼續批量下載更多資料。

英特爾的安全部門在事後審查系統日誌時發現異常數據傳輸紀錄，立即展開內部調查。根據調查結果，該名員工的行為明顯違反公司保密協議及勞動合同。英特爾隨後於三個月內多次嘗試聯繫羅錦峰，透過電子郵件、電話與掛號信進行通知，但他完全沒有回應，目前行蹤不明。

面對這一嚴重的內部安全事件，英特爾最終選擇提起法律訴訟，要求法院命令羅錦峰歸還所有公司資料、銷毀任何複製文件，並支付至少25萬美元的損害賠償。目前案件已正式立案，具體審理進程仍在進行中。業內專家指出，在半導體與高科技產業，企業核心資料的安全性關乎生死存亡。尤其對英特爾這樣的晶片製造巨頭而言，內部研發與製程技術屬於企業最敏感的商業機密，一旦被外流或落入競爭對手手中，可能對市場格局造成重大衝擊。

該事件也再次凸顯出，隨著全球半導體競爭加劇，科技公司在裁員與人員變動期間的資料防護漏洞，正成為潛在的重大風險點。英特爾此次的強硬法律行動，不僅是為了追討損失，也是在向整個業界傳達明確訊息：任何試圖竊取企業機密的行為，都將面臨嚴厲的法律制裁。

U.S. chip giant Intel has become embroiled in a major internal data theft scandal involving a former software engineer who allegedly stole around 18,000 confidential company files just before being laid off — and has since disappeared without a trace. The case has sent shockwaves through the tech industry, given the scale of the data breach and the sensitivity of the stolen materials. Intel has filed a lawsuit against the ex-employee, seeking at least $250,000 in damages and demanding the immediate return of all stolen data.

According to court filings made public this week, the accused employee, Jinfeng Luo, joined Intel in 2014 and worked as a software engineer for over a decade. On July 7, 2024, Intel informed Luo that his position was being terminated, with his official departure date set later that month. However, in the days leading up to his exit, Luo allegedly began systematically downloading internal company documents — an action Intel later identified as unauthorized and deliberate.

Intel’s legal complaint states that Luo downloaded approximately 18,000 files, including not only internal technical materials but also a significant number of documents marked “Top Secret.” These files reportedly contained Intel’s most sensitive intellectual property — including proprietary chip design data, next-generation manufacturing process information, trade strategies, and internal R&D blueprints. The company emphasized that the loss or exposure of such information could inflict irreparable harm and result in “catastrophic” competitive damage.

The lawsuit further reveals that Luo initially attempted to copy the data from his company-issued laptop onto an external hard drive, but Intel’s security systems blocked the attempt. Undeterred, three days before his official departure, he allegedly transferred the data to a NAS (Network-Attached Storage) device — effectively bypassing Intel’s safeguards — and continued to download large quantities of files until his final day at work.

Intel’s internal cybersecurity team later discovered suspicious activity during a routine audit of access logs, uncovering evidence of massive file transfers tied to Luo’s credentials. The company launched a full investigation and tried multiple times over a three-month period to contact Luo by email, phone, and registered mail, but received no response. Luo has since become unreachable, and his current whereabouts remain unknown.

In response, Intel has filed a lawsuit in a U.S. federal court, demanding the return and destruction of all stolen data, in addition to $250,000 in compensatory damages. The company stressed that Luo’s actions constituted a clear breach of confidentiality agreements and corporate policy.

Industry analysts note that this incident underscores the growing data security risks during layoffs in high-tech sectors such as semiconductors, where intellectual property and process technology are the lifeblood of corporate competitiveness. For a company like Intel, whose future depends on innovation in chip design and manufacturing, the theft of proprietary information could have devastating implications.

Experts also view Intel’s decisive legal action as a warning to the broader tech industry — that any attempt to steal or misuse confidential data will be met with swift and severe legal consequences.