Microsoft former senior software architect Alex Kibkalo has been arrested and charged over allegedly stealing Windows 8 trade secrets and passing them over to a blogger in France.

Former senior architect Alex Kibkalo had worked for Microsoft for seven years and received a poor performance review in 2012. He threatened to resign if the review was not amended

Microsoft's own investigation found that Kibkalo "uploaded proprietary software including pre-release software updates for Windows 8 RT and ARM devices, as well as the Microsoft Activation Server Software Development Kit (SDK) to a computer in Redmond, Washington and subsequently to his personal Windows Live SkyDrive account." It is alleged that he had provided the blogger with links to the file on his account.

  

According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that Microsoft contacted an FBI agent to investigate the situation.

The blogger hid his identity and used a nickname online to protect his original identity. An e-mail from Kibkalo was found in the blogger’s Hotmail account, establishing that he shared confidential data.