Contractor admits planting logic bombs in his software to ensure he’d get new work

Is there any information on how it was discovered? Unless he became progressively greedy and reduced the time between malfunctions, two years seems a short time for a scheme like this to run. Maybe the accountants started wondering why the IT guy was passing six-figure repair bills.
 
In the comments, someone linked another article. He had a password-protected spreadsheet that had a deadline in it that would cause errors, so they kept calling him back to fix it for a flat fee. He'd extend the deadline while he was in there. But one came up while he was unavailable, and they had a time-sensitive task, so he gave them the password, and they found his logic bomb, which probably means he had something really stupid and obvious.

Edit: here's the link to the story with more details: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/ne...tractor-jailed-for-sabotage-with-logic-bombs/

"Tinley planted logic bombs designed to trigger automatically after a set time and randomly crash a series of spreadsheets he designed to automatically calculate customer order cost estimates and workflow...Tinley's scheme was discovered when he was out of town and he had to give his password to Siemens' employees because of a time-sensitive deadline that required the spreadsheets to work."

I wonder if he wasn't keeping track of the next crash date, or if he got called out of town on an emergency, or what.
 
1_rick said:
In the comments, someone linked another article. He had a password-protected spreadsheet that had a deadline in it that would cause errors, so they kept calling him back to fix it for a flat fee. He'd extend the deadline while he was in there. But one came up while he was unavailable, and they had a time-sensitive task, so he gave them the password, and they found his logic bomb, which probably means he had something really stupid and obvious.

Edit: here's the link to the story with more details: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/ne...tractor-jailed-for-sabotage-with-logic-bombs/

"Tinley planted logic bombs designed to trigger automatically after a set time and randomly crash a series of spreadsheets he designed to automatically calculate customer order cost estimates and workflow...Tinley's scheme was discovered when he was out of town and he had to give his password to Siemens' employees because of a time-sensitive deadline that required the spreadsheets to work."

I wonder if he wasn't keeping track of the next crash date, or if he got called out of town on an emergency, or what.
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This isn't that uncommon. I used to find logic bombs in our PLCs that the vendor would put in there to make sure the cheque cleared or the maintenance contract renewed.
 
YeuEmMaiMai said:
is it wrong to want to see this guy cooked
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A little harsh.... how would you like sentence of death because you fudged a few dollars on your tax filing? Is it wrong sure is, is it death worthy? He stole a little money, hardly capital offense dont you think?
 
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tangoseal said:
A little harsh.... how would you like sentence of death because you judged a few dollars on your tax filing? Is it wrong sure is, is it death worthy? He stole a little money, hardly capital offense dont you think?
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This was more than a few dollars and this guy deceived many...with his illicit gains :)
 
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tangoseal said:
A little harsh.... how would you like sentence of death because you fudged a few dollars on your tax filing? Is it wrong sure is, is it death worthy? He stole a little money, hardly capital offense dont you think?
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Nope, call me draconian but I have had to live my life by the rules so I have little trouble demanding that others be punished for intentionally flaunting them.
 
lcpiper said:
Nope, call me draconian but I have had to live my life by the rules so I have little trouble demanding that others be punished for intentionally flaunting them.
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I think you have little respect for human life, sir.

This dude is scum though I agree.
 
Huh.
Not even aware of a Pennsylvania site. this would be PL though, not AG. Happened 3 years ago-that one might be closed.
Didn't find a current account for this guy for some odd reason. :LOL:
 
This stuff makes IT professionals look bad, but only in the same way as car mechanics. Super lame, but also super dumb he couldn't remote in and take care of it or have a backup plan for if this situation happens. How about having a backup of a faultless file and ask them to use this one instead. Might be the end of the scam but better than being caught.
 
1_rick said:
In the comments, someone linked another article. He had a password-protected spreadsheet that had a deadline in it that would cause errors, so they kept calling him back to fix it for a flat fee. He'd extend the deadline while he was in there. But one came up while he was unavailable, and they had a time-sensitive task, so he gave them the password, and they found his logic bomb, which probably means he had something really stupid and obvious.

Edit: here's the link to the story with more details: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/ne...tractor-jailed-for-sabotage-with-logic-bombs/

"Tinley planted logic bombs designed to trigger automatically after a set time and randomly crash a series of spreadsheets he designed to automatically calculate customer order cost estimates and workflow...Tinley's scheme was discovered when he was out of town and he had to give his password to Siemens' employees because of a time-sensitive deadline that required the spreadsheets to work."

I wonder if he wasn't keeping track of the next crash date, or if he got called out of town on an emergency, or what.
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Sounds like he thought his customers were too stupid to take the opportunity to inspect his work and recognize what he was doing.

Why in the world would you outsource your spreadsheets? I had to work with one in my early days as an analyst that was made and provided by EPIC, and that thing was such a mess. It wasn't password protected, so after they wiped their hands on supporting it I used my free time to collapse the whole thing to 25% its original size. The way they complicated simple things was really infantile. At least it wasn't designed to blow up.
 
Darunion said:
I remember a star trek tng episode where any law broken was immediate death penalty.
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I believe there was a point in history where you'd get your hand cut off for stealing a loaf of bread. Funny though, didn't help the crime rate.
 
I know a case where an IT contactor was cancelled and held payment. Within a week the client was severly hit with ransomware
 
HAL_404 said:
did you work for him?
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No but that member was calling for the outright death penalty over some money stolen.

Do we live in America or do we live in sub Saharan Africa where a chicken theft will get you lynched and necklaced.
 
tangoseal said:
Do we live in America or do we live in sub Saharan Africa where a chicken theft will get you lynched and necklaced.
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when's the last time you dropped an egg on the floor while cooking and had to scrape it up and put it into the pan because it was only one of two eggs you had left and nothing else to eat in the house and your two children wanted breakfast? There are many more people here in the US who live that way than most realize ...
 
HAL_404 said:
when's the last time you dropped an egg on the floor while cooking and had to scrape it up and put it into the pan because it was only one of two you had and your two children wanted breakfast? That's what I thought :barefoot:
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Whats your point?

Have you actually ever been outside of your plush virtual food filled paradise in your entire life?
 
tangoseal said:
Whats your point?

Have you actually ever been outside of your plush virtual food filled paradise in your entire life?
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it's not wise to judge with one's own judgement (I'm no stranger to poverty)
 
tangoseal said:
Where have you ever been in your life that you have experienced the very thing you are virtue signalling about?
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to you (based on your last comment) one has to "go somewhere" to experience poverty.

I'm done here ... have a nice evening (or day or whatever time zone you're in)
 
HAL_404 said:
when's the last time you dropped an egg on the floor while cooking and had to scrape it up and put it into the pan because it was only one of two eggs you had left and nothing else to eat in the house and your two children wanted breakfast? There are many more people here in the US who live that way than most realize ...
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If ya have two eggs you should not drop a egg
 
Dark12 said:
I think you have little respect for human life, sir.

This dude is scum though I agree.
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I think I have great respect for human life. It's just that I respect the lives of innocents far more than that of self-serving assholes who would fuck them.
 
lcpiper said:
I think I have great respect for human life. It's just that I respect the lives of innocents far more than that of self-serving assholes who would fuck them.
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You'd be a great fit for Saudi Arabia.
 
Why, Does Saudi Arabia need an asshole to do what should be done?

EDIT: I suppose as we banter back and forth, it wouldn't hurt for me to acknowledge that you did "agree that the man was scum".

I think that it would be fair to also consider that a person's life and experiences can greatly color their opinion and judgement on such things. Perhaps you are correct, that my experiences in Iraq as well as all of my adult life, (since 1981), in service to the US Army in one way or another, and therefore to our citizens, would have an impact.

It would be fair to say that I may not be the best person for tasks requiring great empathy in dealing with delicate feelings.
 
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HAL_404 said:
when's the last time you dropped an egg on the floor while cooking and had to scrape it up and put it into the pan because it was only one of two eggs you had left and nothing else to eat in the house and your two children wanted breakfast? There are many more people here in the US who live that way than most realize ...
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Oh yea, but when was the last time you had an hdmi cable go out on you and you were forced to watch a bluray movie using the yellow rca cable quality video until the new hdmi cable showed up? You have no idea what roughing it is!
 
lcpiper said:
Are we going to have a "who has the most impoverished and destitute dick dragging contest"? Oh goodie, I love those the best.
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Yea those are always just a creative writing test. Who can make up a better sounding story than the other. I imagine people with real poverty problems, don't frequent pc hardware forums online.
 
lcpiper said:
Are we going to have a "who has the most impoverished and destitute dick dragging contest"? Oh goodie, I love those the best.
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So you still support execution for someone who stole a petty 40,000 dollars?

You're doing a great job of deflection.
 
tangoseal said:
So you still support execution for someone who stole a petty 40,000 dollars?

You're doing a great job of deflection.
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Dude said he served in Iraq.

It gives me a great feeling knowing he is a person representing our country.

All life is sacred. Ending someone's life on behalf of the state is a very very serious matter.
 
Dark12 said:
Dude said he served in Iraq.

It gives me a great feeling knowing he is a person representing our country.

All life is sacred. Ending someone's life on behalf of the state is a very very serious matter.
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Yeah I've been to Iraq also and for someone to claim they've been to war and so easily write the life of others off means they were either a fobbit or are just full of shit.

Talk to any bro who's been in the shit will tell you they are so sick of death.

I cant even kill a chicken any more unless it's necessary. Call me a bitch but I've had a close friend and brother die in my arms.

A real vet who's seen war cherishes every bit of life as the most precious thing.

Dont take it as weakness though. Trust me, you attack our country or families and your gonna hate what comes your way.

I'm gonna add this* anyone who's seen war, not just the vet, has a profound value of life. A cop, a firefighter, a man who lost a family member to cancer, any form of severe loss will open your eyes to the fragility of life. All I'm sayin.

But then again some just have hearts made of granite and were probably born without empathy at all. Lots of people like that.
 
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