The bug... More info.

[Robert J. Hansen]

> how exactly could a private contractor have that level
> of security clearance, anyway?

The government had a seat that needed filling, they couldn't get the  
seat filled at the paycheck they're legally allowed to offer to a  
direct employee, so they hired a private contractor to fill the role.   
Pretty simple, really.

The government pay rate for someone with a Master's degree and ten  
years of experience hovers around $60,000 per year, incidentally.   
It's shockingly low by the standards of the tech sector.