Insider threat is always an important topic in cybersecurity. We often focus on one or a few engineers stealing data and trying to bribe the company. But in this article, we will do a brain exercise with a fictional story. Can engineers stage a coup and take over their company? I will provide some context on why they might want to do it and how they could do it. This doesn’t mean I support any idea in this article. My point of view is irrelevant. It’s a fictional story to think about potential threats and the employee-company relationship.
Prelude
Tech companies today are making a killing, but let’s not forget who’s actually behind these successes: the engineers. Without these skilled people, no product would be made. Engineers are not just parts of a machine. They are highly trained experts, hard to find and even harder to educate.
But many engineers underestimate their worth. They often work on small parts of larger projects, which can make their contributions seem minor. This narrow focus can make them feel disconnected from the final product and believe their work is unimportant or easily replaced. As a result, they may struggle to recognize the true value and impact of their efforts in the bigger picture.
But here’s the thing: every product, every technology, every software is built on the back of engineers. Each line of code, each design tweak, every problem solved is a direct result of their expertise. Engineers should recognize this and felt a genuine sense of pride and ownership over the products they create. You manage DevOps in retail.com, you own retail.com. You manage Kubernetes clusters for retail.com, you own retail.com. You write the login function for retail.com, you own retail.com
This might seem absurd to some engineers. They might think, “I only work on some configuration files, but retail.com is a giant. My work is not related to the final product.” Capital owners love this mentality. When every employee is given a small and narrow task, nobody feels ownership of the final product. As a result, they won’t ask for more because they are too afraid of being replaced.
This shift in perspective is the first step in realizing just how powerful they are within the company.
Asking Questions
But imagine what could happen if engineers suddenly woke up to the fact that they are the true owners of the product. No engineers, no product — it’s that simple. This idea might lead to many questions. Why is someone else pocketing billions from our work while we get by on modest salaries and limited days off each year? Why do we live with the constant threat of being fired?
Why does our boss hold so much power over us when we are the ones who make everything possible? It seems absurd. We’re the ones who turned their dreams into reality, making them billionaires. If the product brings in billions, why are only a handful of people rolling in wealth? Why don’t we get a similar reward?
What if we decided to take matters into our own hands? What if we overthrow the boss and take control of the product ourselves? If we have the brains to create these groundbreaking products, we certainly can manage them too.
These are the questions that engineers might ask.
The Coup
So, let’s imagine a scenario where engineers start to ask these questions and decide to take ownership of the company.
How could they plan such a coup?
Choosing a Coup Leader
To pull off this coup, they need a leader with the guts and charisma of Tony Montana or The Bride from Kill Bill. This person must be bold enough to make everyone — from fellow engineers to top executives — a bit nervous. This leader must accept that they might end up in prison if things go wrong (but avoiding prison would be the priority). Knowing that the leader is willing to take the fall would encourage others to join without fear.
Forming the Coup Squad
We don’t need to convince all engineers to join. In fact, telling everyone would only increase the risk. Instead, the plan should be kept secret. Recruiting one or two key engineers from the data, DevOps, infrastructure, cloud, cybersecurity etc. teams would be enough.
This special group would be the backbone of the operation. We will use their privileges and expertise to take control.
Oh My God, We’ve Been Phished and Breached!
The plan begins with an orchestrated phishing attack. The coup team sends phishing emails to all members within their group. These members intentionally fall for the attack. It will give the appearance of a widespread security breach. The so-called hacker (which is actually the coup team) gains unlimited access to the company’s systems.
They then proceed to encrypt all company data and backups, wiping out all clear-text versions. They will also download all source codes from Git and delete the originals. From an external perspective, this would look like a severe hacker attack.
Negotiation
With the “hack” in place, the next step involves a negotiation with a higher-up, preferably the CEO. The coup team arranges a secret meeting and lays everything on the table.
But the leader shouldn’t be there physically. The leader should be abroad in case the shareholders inform the police. This way, the leader won’t be stuck in jail and can execute the next steps. A messenger will deliver messages and can call the leader through an encrypted channel to talk with the CEO.
“We did the attack,” they would say. “We control everything now. Here’s the deal: the board and shareholders must transfer half of their shares to us (this part can be different in different companies). This way, we become the majority shareholders. If you refuse, we will wipe all the data permanently. No data, no company. You lose everything. But if you cooperate, you keep half of your wealth.”
Tip: If the coup squad have trusted contacts among the shareholders, they can use this to their benefit. Privately tell them they can keep their shares if they pressure other shareholders to agree to your terms. This tactic could help gain needed support and ease the power shift.
If the shareholders refuse to cooperate and instead inform the police, the coup leader must follow through on the threat to wipe all company data. This extreme action serves as a message for future potential coup attempts. Destroying the data leaves nothing for the company to recover, proving that engineers hold the true power.
The Leader’s Safety and Legal Defense
The leader should be operating from abroad, away from immediate legal repercussions. Even if they are somehow arrested, they can maintain plausible deniability with the help of a skilled lawyer. They can claim innocence, arguing that it was a hacker attack and they have no involvement. Legal defense would focus on lack of evidence and the impossibility of proving their involvement beyond a reasonable doubt.
The New Era of Ownership
If the shareholders decide to comply with the terms, the following changes will take place:
- Transfer of Shares: The board and shareholders transfer half of their shares to the coup team, making them the majority shareholders.
- New Leadership: The coup leader becomes the new CEO. They will position the coup team at the top of the company.
With the coup team in control, the company enters a transformative phase. An employee-focused environment will be created:
- Fair Compensation: Employees receive fair compensation and recognition for their contributions. Profit-sharing models are implemented to ensure everyone benefits from the company’s success.
- Sustainable Growth: The focus shifts from short-term profits to long-term sustainability and innovation.
- Increased Paid Time Off: Each employee will have at least 60 days of paid time off
- Reduced Work Hours: The workweek is shortened to four days, with each workday consisting of only six hours. This approach not only increases productivity and creativity but also enhances overall job satisfaction and well-being.
It’s important to note that this coup might drastically reduce the company’s market value — from 10 billion dollars to 1 billion. However, this drop in value is not a primary concern for the employees. High company valuations often benefit only shareholders, not the workers. Even if the company’s value decreases tenfold, a doubling of employee wages would be a significant victory for the workforce. Employees aren’t striving to become billionaires; they just want a good life. The new era of ownership promises a fairer, more balanced, and innovative workplace, where every employee feels valued and motivated to contribute their best.
Closing Thoughts
This was a fictional story written to stimulate your imagination and think about the current work culture. Even if we don’t support such a coup, it’s clear there are valid reasons why engineers might consider one. These reasons stem from various systemic issues. If those reasons didn’t exist, no one would even think about such an action. I hope you enjoyed this brain exercise and found it enlightening.
