Three former employees of Google are facing indictments for allegedly stealing technology trade secrets from Google and other companies and sending that information to Iran. The individuals involved, Samaneh Ghandali, Soroor Ghandali, and Mohammadjavad Khosravi, worked as engineers in Silicon Valley and were caught stealing and transferring data from company computers before sending the information to Iran.
According to reports, both Samaneh and Soroor were employed at Google, while Mohammadjavad worked for a different company in Silicon Valley. It is suggested that the trio may have stolen trade secrets from all three companies they were associated with. Google discovered the stolen trade secrets in August of 2023 when internal security systems flagged Samaneh’s suspicious activity, leading to her access being revoked. In an attempt to cover their tracks, the three individuals reportedly tried to delete communications and bypass security monitoring by taking photos of computer screens instead of transferring data.
Although only Google is mentioned by name in the reports, it is likely that Qualcomm was one of the other companies affected by the theft. The trio was found taking photos of Mohammadjavad Khosravi’s computer screen, which contained trade secrets including Snapdragon SoCs. While the specific details of the stolen data from Google and the unnamed third company are not disclosed, the potential implications for the individuals involved are severe. If convicted, they could face hefty fines and multiple years in prison for each trade secret charge, as well as additional penalties for obstruction of justice.
As of now, Samaneh, Soroor, and Mohammadjavad have not been convicted, but the consequences of their actions could be significant. The severity of the charges they are facing underscores the importance of protecting intellectual property and the potential repercussions for those who engage in trade secret theft. The implications of this case highlight the need for stringent security measures to prevent such incidents in the future.