A federal jury has convicted Texas software developer Davis Lu of intentionally damaging his former employer’s network, a crime that carries a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years.

As reported by the Justice Department, the prosecution alleged that Lu, a 55-year-old man, initiated a campaign of sabotage against his employer’s computer systems following a corporate restructuring in 2018. This restructuring resulted in Lu having reduced responsibilities and limited access to the company’s systems.

It is alleged that Lu created a malicious “kill switch” code, which he named “IsDLEnabledinAD”, referencing the status of his account within the company’s Active Directory. The purpose of this code was to lock out all employees from the network in the event that Lu’s login credentials were deactivated.

On September 9, 2019, when Lu left the company, the kill switch was triggered, causing significant disruptions to the company’s systems worldwide. This incident affected thousands of employees and resulted in substantial financial losses, with the Justice Department estimating the damage to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Lu is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23, as indicated by the court’s docket.