@protein Many things that you'd think would be under lock and key... are not. Credentials for, say, a database of subscribers to a telephone company? Just ask the team and say you're working on an integration, they'll happily send you the password in plain text
Although it's not that simple, it's way easier than an average Joe would think. That's how one of the most wanted hackers, Kevin Mitnick, had his way around stuff through social engineering.