> Most companies have more thorough processes to avoid this but that doesn't mean those processes are applied correctly everytime, especially if more than one malicious engineer is involved.

I’d also bet that you could exploit the tiers at many companies: how many places have more robust review for the staff engineers but then assume that some lowly “ops monkey” will take care of the build environment, etc.? I’d hope that wouldn’t work at Google, Microsoft, etc. but have heard enough stories about disparities between which jobs are contracted out and which have the coveted FAANG benefits that I wouldn’t exactly be shocked if it turned out otherwise.