Microsoft has managed to track down a former employee who leaked Windows 8 copies

Mar 20, 2014 16:09 GMT  ·  By
The arrested leaker allegedy published copies of Windows 7 and 8 to the Internet
   The arrested leaker allegedy published copies of Windows 7 and 8 to the Internet

As we’ve reported to you earlier today, a former Microsoft employee called Alex Kibkalo has been arrested with charges of leaking Windows 7 and Windows 8 code to the Internet and to a French blogger who further shared the details online.

While that’s clearly a good thing for Microsoft and bad for people who hoped to get their hands on Windows copies before they are released to the public, there are several unknown details that make us wonder who’s the man behind all these Windows leaks that allegedly reached the web in the last couple of years.

As Neowin is reporting, Kibkalo was said to be collaborating with someone who was running a website specifically focused on leaked information. The actual website that published the leaks could be none other than WinUnleaked, a page that was taken down in January 2013 by Microsoft itself and is now redirecting users to Microsoft.com.

The site administrator used the nickname “Canouna,” but he never disclosed his real identity, so not much is actually known about him and nobody can tell for sure whether he’s the main person involved in the probe made public today and who received the leaks from Alex Kibkalo.

On the other hand, news that Microsoft managed to hunt down a famous Windows leaker raised some concerns on online communities where people are discussing features of the upcoming Windows releases, with one famous user who until now provided us with plenty of accurate details on these projects removing all his accounts earlier today.

WZor, who has a pretty good track on Windows leaks so far, no longer has a Twitter account and website, which makes many wonder whether he’s also involved in this case or he’s only trying to protect his identity by removing all his accounts and details from the Internet.

If this is the case, chances are that Microsoft already has some information, especially because the company has been investigating the case for months, so removing the traces right now might not be such an effective decision after all.

Of course, everybody is waiting for some clarification from the Redmond-based software giant itself, but as usual, the company refuses to comment on the case and on all the other rumors that are reaching the web lately.

However, we’re hearing that WZor is not the one who got arrested, but some official statements to put things straight in this case would clearly come in handy for everyone right now.