This AP story reports that an employee of a market-intelligence company pleaded guilty to federal charges of obtaining unauthorized access to a customer’s computer files. The files included passwords and personal data of the customer’s own customers. The market-intelligence employee reportedly downloaded the data to CDs and stored it at his house, just because he liked to have it — he didn’t use it for criminal or commercial purposes.
The employee is being held without bond, pending sentencing in about two months. He faces up to five years in federal prison.