on the other hand, the previous supply chain attack was found by automated tech. Also, if MS would be so kind as to just run similar scans at the time a package is updated instead of after the package is updated (which is the only way the automated tech can run if npm doesn't integrate it), then malware like this would be way less common.

MS doesn't care

> on the other hand, the previous supply chain attack was found by automated tech.

Are you sure about this? Would love to see which ones.

The chalk/debug one https://www.aikido.dev/blog/npm-debug-and-chalk-packages-com... I believe socket also found it this way just a bit later.

The dev later said that Charlie notifying him probably shaved off some very important time for the remediation.

So in this case 2 different companies found it using automated tech before anyone else

Hi, I'm Charlie from Aikido, as mentioned above. Yes, we detected it automatically, and I alerted Josh to the situation on BSky.

There's no reason why Microsoft/npm can't do what we're doing, or any of the other handful to dozen companies that do similar things to us, to protect the supply chain.