ScreenOS seems to predate git (the NetScreen line is an acquisition made in 2004, according to Wikipedia). I'm not sure if the older VCSs were as tamper-proof

ScreenOS seems to predate git (the NetScreen line is an acquisition made in 2004, according to Wikipedia). I'm not sure if the older VCSs were as tamper-proof as modern ones so the line may as well be part of the original commit which added password authentication, decade before the hack.