Former L3Harris Executive Charged With Selling Cyber Secrets to Russia
U.S. federal prosecutors have charged a former Trenchant (L3Harris) executive with stealing trade secrets and selling them to an alleged Russian buyer for approximately $1.3 million. Court filings indicate multiple proprietary materials were taken between April 2022 and June 2025. Authorities seek forfeiture of luxury goods and cryptocurrency proceeds tied to the alleged scheme. The indictment highlights risks associated with insider misuse of sensitive offensive cyber capabilities and the need for robust export-control, insider-risk, and personnel monitoring programs within defense contractors handling classified or dual-use tooling.
CORTEX Protocol Intelligence Assessment
Business Impact: High loss of offensive cyber IP and regulatory exposure for defense contractors. Technical Context: Stolen trade secrets may include exploit frameworks and operational tooling.
Strategic Intelligence Guidance
- Review insider-risk monitoring and privileged access protocols for sensitive program areas.
- Coordinate with legal and export-control teams to validate protections for dual-use tooling.
- Enforce least privilege and separation of duties for sensitive projects.
- Engage law enforcement and regulatory bodies promptly for investigation support.
Vendors
Threats
Targets
Impact
Financial:$1.3M
Intelligence Source: Former L3Harris cyber director charged with selling secrets The Register | Oct 24, 2025