Apple Reportedly Tests for 'Bad Apples' Among New Employees

[Michael Essany]

Whether its a lost iPhone prototype in a San Francisco bar or an internal information leak that quickly descends upon the tech blogosphere, there are no shortage of sensitive information exposure risks that Apple has to guard against.

The first line of defense, naturally, is to hire trustworthy employees who will retain confidential information and company secrets. But when you're a company as large as Apple, policing the integrity of employees is never easy. Of course, that hasn't stopped the Cupertino, California-based tech giant from trying.

In Adam Lashinsky's new book "Inside Apple," it is revealed that one way Apple monitors source leaks is by feeding false product information to new hires to see if any information subsequently turns up in the media or on the Internet. If any info leaks, it's pretty easy to trace the leak back to its source.

"A friend of mine who's a senior engineer, he works on -- or did work on -- fake products I'm sure for the first part of his career, and interviewed for 9 months," the source admits. "It's intense."

Although integrity tests aren't new by any stretch of the imagination in both public and private fields of employment in the United States, the extent to which Apple places new hires on fake projects for fake product development may be far more sophisticated and aggressive than similar efforts are elsewhere in corporate America.

Source: Apple Insider

[Greatbiguns]

How do you get hired on to create these "FAKE" products???
I am ready to go as the New Director of BS Product Development..
Has a catchy ring to it.
Seriously, Call me....

[PlatoTheForms]

How do you get hired on to create these "FAKE" products???
I am ready to go as the New Director of BS Product Development..
Has a catchy ring to it.
Seriously, Call me....

You are not told the products you will be working on are fake. Im assum should you past the test, you will be moved to working on real products.

How do you get hired on to create these "FAKE" products???
I am ready to go as the New Director of BS Product Development..
Has a catchy ring to it.
Seriously, Call me....

You are not told the products you will be working on are fake. Im assum should you past the test, you will be moved to working on real products.

[Greatbiguns]

No, No- I don't want to actually work on fake stuff, I want to be the "Director" in charge of BS Products.
So I am making up Fake products for the new hires to pretend to be working on....
Word!!

[steve-z17]

The secrecy behind Apple's products is one of the best things! So to have a department dedicated to testing new employee's is understandable. It's like Willy Wonka, everyone started stealing his ideas/recipes so he eventually shut down his factory because he couldn't trust anyone. I don't think Apple would go to that length, but same concept.

[flash66]

Anyone here see the movie "Gattica"? Soon it'll be DNA,blood, urine, hair to screen for perfection while employed.

[csglinux]

I want one of those fake products! Where can I buy one?

[expl0itfinder]

Ironic...the article talks about apple feeding false information to employees to see what turns up in the media. This turned up in the media. Source: apple insider

[jtmf]

I want one of those fake products! Where can I buy one?

In China!