In context: As tensions rise over semiconductor dominance, mental property tied to chip manufacturing has grow to be a primary goal for espionage. Firms like ASML and NXP sit on the heart of this strategic tech battleground, making any breach not only a company concern however a geopolitical one. A current case within the Netherlands highlights simply how far some actors are keen to go to entry this delicate know-how.
German Aksenov, a 43-year-old former worker of ASML and NXP, has been sentenced to 3 years in jail for sharing delicate chip manufacturing paperwork with a contact in Russia. Aksenov, a course of engineer who, based on his LinkedIn profile, was most just lately employed at NXP, violated European Union sanctions imposed on Russia in 2014.
ASML, a Dutch firm, is the world’s sole provider of excessive ultraviolet lithography machines utilized in superior chip manufacturing. NXP, in the meantime, is a number one semiconductor agency recognized for co-inventing close to subject communication know-how alongside Sony. Each corporations are thought-about high-value targets for espionage by state-sponsored actors and cybercriminals worldwide.
Nonetheless, Aksenov wasn’t a hacker. Dutch authorities apprehended him within the act. He had allegedly saved various confidential recordsdata from his former employers on USB drives and onerous disks. These storage units had been bodily transported to Moscow, the place they had been handed over to brokers from Russia’s foremost counter-intelligence company, the FSB.
Aksenov was additionally caught copying paperwork from ASML and NXP servers and taking them house. He tried to justify his uncommon habits by claiming that he wanted entry to the confidential info to boost his “skilled” information of the chip trade. He continues to disclaim being a spy or deliberately smuggling commerce secrets and techniques to Russia.
“I had recordsdata from ASML for my very own use. (âŠ) Whether or not these recordsdata had been allowed to go to Russia? I didn’t ask myself that,” Akesenov dared to say.
Dutch authorities sentenced the engineer to 3 years in jail, although prosecutors had requested a four-year time period. The court docket granted a lighter sentence resulting from a scarcity of proof displaying that Aksenov had acquired fee for his actions. Authorities had been additionally unable to find out precisely when the delicate paperwork had been stolen from his former employers.
In line with Reuters, NXP cooperated actively with legislation enforcement in the course of the investigation. ASML has not confirmed its involvement, as litigation associated to the case continues to be ongoing. Aksenov was arrested in 2023 and has been in custody since. As a Russian nationwide, he has the correct to attraction the Dutch court docket’s ruling inside 14 days.
