Elon Musk reportedly devised an innovative plan to identify a former employee suspected of leaking sensitive information.
Known for his frequent interactions and candid revelations on Twitter, Musk often shares intriguing stories from his various ventures.
While he regularly updates the world on his companies’ achievements, there are certain details he prefers to keep under wraps. Unfortunately, a former Tesla employee was hindering this effort by leaking information.
In 2008, five years after the establishment of Tesla, there were allegations of confidential information being leaked.
To address this issue, Musk implemented a clever strategy to identify the person responsible.
A curious Twitter user inquired about this incident in 2022, tagging Musk in a tweet that read: “Elon in 2008 how did you catch that employee who leaked the confidential data of Tesla and sold it to the news outlet?”
Musk replied, calling it an ‘interesting story,’ and disclosed the ingenious technique his team used to pinpoint the culprit.
He stated: “We sent what appeared to be identical emails to all, but each was actually coded with either one or two spaces between sentences, forming a binary signature that identified the leaker.”
By matching this signature with the leaked information, Musk successfully identified the responsible party.
Musk claimed credit for devising the method, which is commonly referred to as a ‘canary trap.’
This technique involves creating multiple versions of a sensitive document, distributing them to different individuals, and then monitoring which version gets leaked.
Once the leaker was identified, they were dismissed from Tesla. Or, as Musk phrased it, they were ‘invited to further their career elsewhere.’
Despite identifying the leaker, Musk chose not to pursue legal action, citing his preoccupation with other pressing matters at the time.
Though Musk is now on more stable footing, his past success in catching the leaker serves as a warning to employees who might consider attempting a similar act in the future.