Microsoft claims former manager stole 600MB of confidential data

[JMH]

Microsoft has accused a former manager of stealing hundreds of confidential data files when he left the firm for CRM rival Salesforce.com.

The software giant filed documents at Washington’s State Superior Court on Thursday alleging that former employee Matt Miszewski stole around 600MB of confidential data. Miszewski is a former Microsoft general manager of the company’s Dynamics CRM team. Miszewski allegedly took home personal data mixed with 600MB of work data on his personal laptop when he resigned on December 31, 2010. Microsoft claims that “many of these files consist of confidential and proprietary Microsoft information.”

The documents contained internal playbacks and business plans relating to Microsoft’s 2011 strategies for its Cloud products and services. “[These] would be highly valuable to Microsoft’s competitors, including Salesforce.com, both in terms of capitalizing on Microsoft’s efforts to prepare these materials, as well as revealing in detail Microsoft’s own competitive strategies,” the motion stated according to Computerworld.

Microsoft claims former manager stole 600MB of confidential data | WinRumors

 

[seekermeister]

Hmm, I'm certainly no cyber expert, but the story leaves me wondering how MS would determine that he stole the data, unless they caught him carrying the laptop out of the door? If that were so, it would seem that they would have brought criminal charges instead. It kind of sounds to me, that they simply do not want him working in direct competition with them, with or without the data. It would seem that they would have had a no competition agreement of some kind, long ago.

 

[Gornot]

Well, if that was the case, I don't see why would Microsoft go "official" and contact the superior court.