Well not exactly… but close.

According to the Verizon Business Security Blog during a routine security audit of a US Company it was found that a “hacker” from China was logging into the company database several times a day through the account of top software developer “Bob.”

After a more thorough investigation… it turned out that Bob’s account wasn’t being hacked after all but instead Bob had outsourced his own job. 

A couple months prior, Bob hired a Chinese consulting firm to do the work which he was being paid six figures do. In return he FedExed them his RSA Key and began paying the contractor about a fifth of his salary ($50,000 a year). 

Now instead of working nine to five, Bob’s internet history showed that his days were filled with watching cat videos, surfing reddit, buying things on EBay and updating his facebook page.  Then at around 4:30 he would email his bosses with “what he had completed during the day.” 

Even more ironically, Bob’s performance reviews showed that he had received many accolades for the codes he created.  

According to the Verizon Blog,

“His code was clean, well written, and submitted in a timely fashion. Quarter after quarter, his performance review noted him as the best developer in the building.”

Unfortunately for Bob and his cat video obsession he has been fired.

But his initially outrageous business plan does raise some interesting questions about capitalism. If CEOs of companies can outsource hundreds of jobs to other countries what is stopping individual employees from outsourcing their own jobs?  

Image By: slgckgc