Developer Dismissed for Using Malware with Kill-Switch Feature Found Guilty, Faces Four-Year Imprisonment for Vengeful Acts
A Chinese software developer, David Lu, has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for intentionally damaging protected computers at Eaton Corporation. The attack on Eaton's systems, which caused a worldwide shutdown in 2019, was a result of Lu's demotion and subsequent suspension from his job in 2018.
Lu, a 55-year-old man who worked at the company in Beachwood, Ohio from 2007 to 2019, retaliated by using his developer access to insert malicious Java code into Eaton's production environment. This malware, named "IsDLEnabledinAD", automatically activated when Lu's corporate account was disabled. The conspicuous name of the malware, referencing Lu's Active Directory account, was a key piece of evidence against him.
The attack caused significant losses for Eaton Corporation, with estimates reaching hundreds of thousands of dollars. It led to a complete shutdown of the company's systems worldwide, disrupting their operations.
In March 2025, a federal jury convicted Lu of the charges. The US Department of Justice was involved in the case, and Lu was arrested in October 2019. He was sentenced to four years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Investigations revealed that Lu's internet search history showed research on methods to escalate privileges, hide processes, and rapidly delete files. On the day Lu was fired, he deleted encrypted data from his company laptop.
Lu, who is from Houston, Texas, is the latest in a series of high-profile cases involving individuals using their technical skills for malicious purposes. The sentencing serves as a reminder of the importance of cybersecurity and the consequences of such actions.
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