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Selling secrets to a foreign government is a very serious crime. Also, note that Akamai customers include NASA, Boeing, and the US Air Force, so the secrets he was selling could include sensitive defense information.

http://www.akamai.com/html/customers/customer_list.html

If said organisations keep sensitive information in Akamai, then... oh well...

it is the intention that counts. He intended to spy for a foreign government - clearly hostile action toward the US government. For example, if he just posted the info on the open Internet, i think the personal consequences would be much less severe (even though such action could have caused more real damage).

Stealing company secrets: termination.

Stealing company secrets because an FBI agent asks you to: 20 years in prison.

I am beginning to understand the whole "don't talk to the cops" movement.