Data Security Apple sues OpenAI over alleged theft of trade secrets by former employees July 13, 2026 Share By SC Staff (Adobe Stock Images) Coverage from SDx Central indicates that Apple has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that former employees have stolen confidential hardware design files and trade secrets. The lawsuit claims these stolen materials were used to aid OpenAI's development of its own hardware division. Apple alleges that former employee Chang Liu, who left the company to join OpenAI's hardware team, downloaded "dozens" of top-secret hardware files. These files reportedly included unreleased project details, engineering presentations, and technical specifications. The suit claims Liu exploited a network bug and retained an Apple-issued laptop to access confidential data. Another former Apple executive, Tang Yew Tan, who now leads OpenAI's hardware efforts, is also named as a defendant. Apple contends that Tan encouraged current employees to bring "actual parts" to OpenAI interviews for "show and tell" sessions. The lawsuit asserts that OpenAI's hardware business is built on "illegal reliance on misappropriated trade secrets." This legal action highlights growing concerns around device access and trade secret misappropriation in the tech industry. Source: SDx Central SC Staff Related Data Security NHS staff warned of jail time for unauthorized patient data access SC Staff July 10, 2026 The NHS is implementing a new awareness campaign and updated guidance for healthcare organizations to prevent, monitor, and report unauthorized access to patient records. Data Security Scottish NHS Trust staff member emailed personal patient data SC Staff July 10, 2026 The incident involved a staff member transferring a spreadsheet containing patient data from the maternity system to their personal email. Encryption Post-quantum HTTPS migration faces enterprise browser challenges Sunil Gentyala July 10, 2026 Post-quantum HTTPS may expose browser, cookie and TLS proxy security gaps. Related Events Cybercast Beyond the Hype: The Cybersecurity Trends CISOs are Keeping an Eye on in 2026 On-Demand Event Cybercast Beyond the data perimeter: Why next-generation DSPM is the foundation for modern data security On-Demand Event Virtual Conference Securing the Future of Finance: Strategies to Counter Modern Cyber Threats On-Demand Event Get daily email updates SC Media's daily must-read of the most current and pressing daily news Business Email By clicking the Subscribe button below, you agree to SC Media Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Subscribe Related Terms Block Cipher Ciphertext Cryptographic Hash Functions Data Aggregation Data Encryption Standard (DES) Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Decryption Diffie-Hellman Digital Signature Digital Signature Algorithm (DSA) You can skip this ad in 5 seconds