Texas software developer Davis Lu faces up to 10 years in prison after a federal jury convicted him of “causing intentional damage” to his former employer’s network.
According to the Justice Department, Lu, 55, began sabotaging his employer’s systems after a 2018 corporate restructuring left Lu with reduced responsibilities and system access.
Lu is accused of creating and implementing a “kill switch” that would lock out all of the company’s employees from the network if Lu’s credentials were ever deactivated. Prosecutors say Lu named the kill switch code “IsDLEnabledinAD,” referring to whether Lu’s account is enabled in the company’s Active Directory.
When Lu left the company on September 9, 2019, the kill switch activated, causing widespread system disruptions affecting thousands of employees globally. The Justice Department said Lu caused the company “hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses.”
Sentencing is set for June 23, according to the court’s docket.
