In a significant corporate espionage case, four workers from a well-known IT company in Hinjewadi have been charged with stealing proprietary software solutions and important source code, resulting in losses estimated at ₹82 crore.
Insiders Become Predators
According to the police, the accused copied sensitive intellectual property, such as backend frameworks, client-specific apps, and high-value source code, by using their privileged access.They allegedly used the stolen assets to launch more than 100 websites and make illegal profits.
How the Breach Was Ignored
According to reports, the data theft took place over a few weeks and was hidden by using off-network devices and encrypted transfers. The perpetrators’ actions did not set off the usual external intrusion alarms because they were trusted insiders.
According to a cybercrime investigator, “this was a case of trust weaponized against the company.”
The Fallout: Revenue and Reputation at Risk
In addition to the enormous financial loss, the company is also at risk of reputational harm, potential violations of client contracts, and the possibility of private company information getting into the hands of rival companies.
Charges Filed and Police Crackdown
The Pune cyber police have filed charges of theft, deception, and criminal breach of trust in addition to infractions under the Information Technology Act, following a complaint from the company’s top management. To find outside collaborators and follow the digital trail, investigations are still underway.
An Industry Wake-Up Call
Insider threats are still one of the most dangerous but underappreciated risks in corporate IT environments, according to cybersecurity experts.To stop similar breaches, they advise more stringent access controls, ongoing monitoring, and employee vetting.
