martin@gkc.org.uk
Date: Fri, 9 Aug 2019 12:03:57 +0100
Two quotes from the ZDNet article:
> But while Tinley's files worked for years, they started malfunctioning
> around 2014. Every time the scripts would crash, Siemens would call
> Tinley, who'd fix the files for a fee.
It seems that if you work for Siemens, the poorer the quality of the work you produce, the more you will get paid. Just don't try to get too clever and use automation to emulate poor quality work: or at least, if you do, don't hand over the administrative password. You don't want your customer to gain control over the software which runs *their* business!
If you are wondering why there is so much poor quality software out there: an ecosystem which gives higher rewards for poorer quality might possibly be a contributor!
At least this particular contractor didn't try to use plausibly deniable bug injection: cf the "Underhanded C Contest" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underhanded_C_Contest