It's the company's fuck up for firing anyone able to respond to hacks. These people aren't announcing a vulnerability (like in your broken lock analogy), they'

It's the company's fuck up for firing anyone able to respond to hacks. These people aren't announcing a vulnerability (like in your broken lock analogy), they're announcing that they all got fired and that they all need references. It's also a strong signal to everyone that the company may not be a good place to apply for, for a security position.