Former NATO employee sentenced to 7 years for downloading

A German court sentenced a former NATO employee to seven years in prison on espionage charges for downloading confidential data from Ramstein Air Base. The court ruled that the defendant, identified as Manfred K., intended to sell the 11 files to foreign intelligence services, Stars and Stripes reported. Manfred K., an IT expert, denied those allegations and said he only copied the information to expose security flaws within the system, according to a court news release. There was no evidence the 61-year-old German man ever attempted to contact any foreign intelligence services, Stars and Stripes reported. Manfred K. accessed the data after copying passwords computer systems and server locations. He then sent the data to his private email account and saved it on a memory stick, the court said. The information would have allowed a foreign power to launch a devastating cyberattack, the court said.