Ex-Microsoft employee arrested for leaking copies of Windows 8

[AlexGoesHigh]

http://www.theverge.com/2014/3/19/5527694/ex-microsoft-employee-arrested-for-leaking-windows-8

 

 

An ex-Microsoft employee has been arrested and charged with leaking early copies of Windows 8 and Windows 7. Seattle PI reports that software architect Alex Kibkalo is accused of stealing trade secrets and leaking confidential beta copies of Windows 8 to an unnamed “French technology blogger.” Kibkalo was reportedly motivated to leak the software after a poor performance review at Microsoft. Details and copies of Windows 7 and Windows 8 regularly leaked during the course of the software’s development, and the French blogger used a nickname online to protect their identity.

 

 

While copies of Windows were being regularly shared and leaked, Kibkalo is also alleged to have stolen Microsoft’s “Activation Server Software Development Kit,” software for a system used to protect against piracy. The unnamed French blogger reportedly shared the kit online, allowing others to circumvent activation protections used for Microsoft Office and Windows. Microsoft identified the employee leaking the information after the French blogger contacted another employee by email. Kibkalo was arrested on Wednesday after more than a year of investigations, and the ex-Microsoft employee will now appear in a US district court today.

well that a huge hole that just got fixed, wonder if this leak became the main source for windows cracks though? 

[ADaviii]

Darn. If only he made it long enough for Threshold!

[Curemylife]

Hm.. even though he was/is a criminal and a douchebag I'd bet he feels a teenzy bit mad at the frenchguy for, well, in the end "ratting" him out.. I sure as h*ll would

[Levent]

you just dont leak something like that in a blog you go to tpb or equivalent , there is even the source code of windows 2000 in tpb so yeah he got that one coming...

[WanderingFool]

There was an update to this story.

 

Microsoft has admitted to reading through the guys hotmail account, without a court order....rather than just using an email address to find them.

Microsoft

 

During an investigation of an employee we discovered evidence that the employee was providing stolen IP, including code relating to our activation process, to a third party. In order to protect our customers and the security and integrity of our products, we conducted an investigation over many months with law enforcement agencies in multiple countries. This included the issuance of a court order for the search of a home relating to evidence of the criminal acts involved. The investigation repeatedly identified clear evidence that the third party involved intended to sell Microsoft IP and had done so in the past.

As part of the investigation, we took the step of a limited review of this third party's Microsoft operated accounts. While Microsoft's terms of service make clear our permission for this type of review, this happens only in the most exceptional circumstances. We apply a rigorous process before reviewing such content. In this case, there was a thorough review by a legal team separate from the investigating team and strong evidence of a criminal act that met a standard comparable to that required to obtain a legal order to search other sites. In fact, as noted above, such a court order was issued in other aspects of the investigation.

 

 

So much for their Scroogled campaign.  At least Google's is an automated search which doesn't reveal details...and here MS justifies it because they "... met a standard comparable to that required to obtain a legal order to search other sites".  While I don't feel that the blogger deserves to have his privacy, it is pretty alarming that their privacy policies allow such an act.

[GoodBytes]

Microsoft license agreement for its e-mail service, stated that Microsoft can look through your e-mail if it believes that you are doing something that illegal against Microsoft.

Microsoft did this, because the blogger (who used Hotmail, and the leaker was too dumb to ask the blogger for a different e-mail), reported the leaker to Microsoft.

You have to be a true moron for leaking company information purposely. You know that the company will do everything they can to catch you, especially if you are part of any large company.

And he did all this for what? A bad performance review? Well, 1, Microsoft doesn't have them anymore, and 2, move your ass and do the work being expected to you. Talk to your supervisor or boss about it, and ask what you can do to improve yourself. You can see in changing teams as well.

[WanderingFool]

Microsoft license agreement for its e-mail service, stated that Microsoft can look through your e-mail if it believes that you are doing something that illegal against Microsoft.

 

The part that I really take issue with is the looseness of the privacy policy/EULA.  While I understand why those types of terms are in there, I feel that they are overly broad....I mean if I were to accuse someone with an outlook address of releasing confidential documents about MS, it would effectively give them the right to look through that persons email.  This is just my opinion, but I feel that entities that handle information should be kept separate from the full parent company.  In this case you have MS searching outlook due to a Windows based problem....that is the issue I have; because one day if MS decides to enter into more ventures (say being and ISP, amazon type of store etc), it would give them more excuses to allow access to emails to protect the rights of Microsoft.  In my perfect world, MS should need to get a search warrant (as well as other companies in similar situations) for things such as emails, when the emails don't have anything to do with operating that service (At least that way it can be challenged in courts).

 

While I feel that guy was very naive in using hotmail, and he does deserve punishment for releasing documents, this in my opinion is a bit too far.

[GoodBytes]

From my understanding he is not punished (which he is lucky, as he is no press person, just a blogger). It's the now ex-Microsoft employee who is. He is the one that leaked this information. And he can't even say "He didn't know", because the OS leaks always have a huge warning on the desktop, about leaking this release will result in termination of employment and even taken to court.

Example: