The story about the attempted compromise of a Tesla factory is surprising to me because of how much trust the criminals placed in their would-be accomplice. Certainly there are other ways to get this done, even if the old thumb drive in the parking lot trick doesn't work. Allowing himself to be not only seen but to engage on a personal, even friendly basis is what did this crook in. This is why anonymity is so valuable in criminal enterprises.
Santa could just plant a bug if all he needed was information about how naughty or nice you were. A person in the inside, however, could open the door and even case the joint.