I've been in that situation before, as has anyone who's had to work with real-world data.
This hack episode seems really scary to me. Getting angry at the computer, your suppliers, et cetra is all part of the development process --- as is writing angry comments and internal emails. It's a much less disruptive way to vent the frustration that comes with the job than punching your monitor.[1]
I've not seen anything anybody's posted that doesn't happen at every development organization in the world. I really feel for those guys and the firestorm they must be in now. And to be frank. I hope the criminals who broke into their computers are captured and prosecuted.
[1] The nicest thing about the old CRTs is that they could take a good smack or two.
~A Jedi hand wave~
"These are not the smoking guns your are looking for."
Honest question: What projects are you referring to?
It's my understanding ( and please correct me if I'm wrong ) that the dataset in question is one of the core underpinnings of the findings of the UN's IPCC. And I'm not up-to-date on the policy implications in your country, unless you live in Canada. But in chilly Canada, I see our local carbon-tax lobby use the global warming meme in their effort to impose heavy taxes on our industrial base. Hence, the "de-industrialization" angle.
I'm concerned that this might involve more power-grabbing than scientific concern for our future. Hence the interest in properly designed and documented datasets.