Ex Asml Engineer Who Stole Chip Tech For Russia Gets Three Years In Dutch Prison
A former ASML and NXP semiconductor engineer will spend three years in a Dutch prison after stealing secret chip technology from his employers and sharing it with Russia.
The Rotterdam District Court convicted an unnamed 43-year-old defendant of computer hacking and violating EU sanctions by illegally providing technical assistance to Russia.
While the Dutch court documents don’t name the defendant, earlier media reports claim the perpetrator was a Russian national named German Aksenov, and report that he sold the corporate data to Russia’s FSB intelligence service. He reportedly raked in €40,000 (about $44,000) in exchange for the chip makers’ IP.
Prosecutors, however, could not prove that Aksenov sold the stolen files or that the money he deposited in his bank account was related to the information he shared.
Between May 2023 and August 2024, the defendant shared files from both of his former companies with an unnamed source in Russia via Signal, Telegram, and Google Drive, according to court documents.
The files contained advice on equipment required for semiconductor manufacturing and detailed steps on how to set up processes for several products using the two chip makers’ technology.
He also apparently sent his Russian source a work proposal for setting up a microchip production line — but because he didn’t end up providing this type of technical assistance, he was acquitted on this part of the charges.
At an earlier hearing, the defendant confessed to stealing corporate data from ASML and NXP, according to a June 26 statement in the court documents:
I had saved files from [company 1] for my own use. Yes, on May 19, 2024, I copied the files from the hard drive to a USB stick. I sent the files I wanted to forward via Signal. Yes, I had files from [company 1] and [company 2] that should have been returned. Yes, I sent him ([name 1]) files at his request. Whether those files were allowed to go to Russia? I didn’t ask. Yes, I provided advice. I made copies of the files to ensure access at all times, not only during my work but also outside of my paid duties.
ASML declined to comment on the legal proceedings.
Fellow Dutch chip maker NXP sent The Register the following statement: “NXP has a zero-tolerance policy towards data theft and embezzlement. We cooperated with the prosecutor’s office to support the prosecution, we thank them for their efforts, and we are pleased with the court’s verdict.” ®
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