Security News > 2023 > February > Learn the art of malicious compliance: doing exactly what you were asked, even when it's wrong

Now, as for the job itself, Steve was in the "Salesman support/office/data processing section." The computer system in use at the time was an IBM system 3, with tub files of 96-hole punch cards for sales order processing, inventory management, and reporting.

Steve tells us "The punch cards were kept with the sales orders until order completion/delivery, or pickup, with some orders awaiting on-order inventory for later pickup."

One evening, the manager tasked Steve with filing all of the completed orders from the outlying stores.

Deep down inside, Steve kind of knew that what the manager meant that they were to be alphabetized by the customers' last name, and then by first name.

That's not what was asked, was it? "As a conscientious worker," Steve says, "I repeated the instruction: to file the orders by first name."

Again, because Steve was so conscientious and you know in the military that orders have to be carried out just right, he repeated "You want all of the orders filed by first name, is this correct?".

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2023/02/13/who_me/