Cool. Some new ports and websites for me to block from the end users. Course, us IT guys can go wherever we want.
None of these work. We can see.
And lots of these (Since they are all backed up by “free web-based services”) will load your machine with spam and spyware. Nothing is free.
And then when you come b!tching to us about it, don’t expect sympathy. We know what behavior garners specific spam.
If you’re shopping for a house, you’ll get lots of mortgage mail. if you’re going to gaming sites, you’ll get lots of pharma / porn spams. You’ll get those pesky little PDF attachment emails from going to more “nefarious sites”.
We know. And it’s not a matter of spying on anyone (Too many people to spy on) it’s a matter of understanding how it all works.
Sometimes we IT managers just make up answers to your questions just to get you to go away. Not all the time, just to people who have it coming to them.
I can say that some, but not all of these will work.
I can also say that, generally, the reason why there are rules for using your PC, is because they're necessary. For instance, if you install non-standard software (that you've been told NOT to do) and it breaks your system, I come fix it when I get around to it.
Most of these "work-arounds" dealt with access to your PC/files remotely. Have fun explaining to your manager how you uploaded your company's financials to StreamLoad (to bypass security so you could work from home) and they were stolen and published on the web. (true story) Or how you visited one of "those" websites at home, your laptop introduced a virus at work, and now no one (all 6000-odd corporate PCs) can access the internet because the virus took down the company proxy server (also a true story).
I'll also let you know that by-and-large...IT depts collect all of the goings-on, on all of the PCs on their network. Generally, though, we don't care. Personally, I don't care if you're checking your Fantasy Football stats at lunch, in fact, I'm likely doing the same. The only time it matters is when your manager comes up to me and says "redfish53 isn't getting their work done...what do his surfing habits look like?". That's when I pay attention. It doesn't happen frequently - the last time was pretty egregious, an employee was surfing sites like "GayMenForSex" at work - but by the time it gets to me, the supervisor's mind is made up and they're looking for excuses.
People forget that their work computers generally DON'T BELONG to THEM....they belong to, and are supported by, the company. So long as the company pays the piper, they get to call the tune.
With apologies in advance to all the IT freepers present, this tread requires that I rerun my favorite Dilbert:
A good IDS(intrusion detection system) can cut down allot of the tricks mentioned, or at least alert the proper IT staff of the rogue activity. A good IT department may also have “sniffers” running on the network. Such activity can also be easily found by a search of the sniffer logs, and such activity can be reported to the proper personnel. Having a firewall(s) that log ALL perimeter activity to a syslog server, where activity can be analyzed can also be used to detect rogue activity. The trick is having an IT department with enough staff to bother with such things, and I bet that’s a small percentage. At most companies, I’d wager that no one looks for such things until after the fact when there has been a problem or security breach.
Personally, I don’t care what our users do on the internet, as long as they aren’t screwing something up. If someone is a repeat offender, they have their access privileges removed.
I laugh at the IT guys when they start swapping cards out of problem computers and still can’t figure out what the hell is going on, especially when I can walk over to the tower, and inspect the hardware and point out that I don’t even work in their department and I can still save them the trouble with a quick 2 minute inspection...
Hardware also fails... yet everyone still blames software...
Surf from a virtual machine. Or VPN from a virtual machine to the office and surf from the host.
ping
bump for later... I’m at work =(
Must be a newbie. I don't remember him there when I was there. Well, maybe not based in the same office, that could be it ...
I'd have more sympathy for that position if they respected compartmentalization in both directions. (i.e. no work during off hours)
BTTT
bttt
I am so glad I have a Mac and NONE of this crap has any effect other than bewondered amusement at all the problems PC users must have.
= )
There are even more challenging environments than industry in this regard. I went from industry to an academic environment and now in addition to the careless or thoughtless but benign worker who just wants to jigger the system so he can download nekkid pix I also have an actively malign element who (1) demands that the network work flawlessly for his or her own little term papers and (2) also regards it as a playground and an opportunity to Stick It To The Man by betraying what he or she doesn't even recognize as a trust relationship.
Most of it is human attitude, really. If you have a login name and a password you are in every real sense an insider with the ability to soil whatever nest you're being allowed into. If it stinks afterward, whose fault is that?
Oh, and as long as I'm ranting - the next idiot who breaks the system and smirks that he's found a hole gets his nose cartilidge tested by my trusty clue-by-four. Go stick nails into the tires of the football team and then complain that security shouldn't have allowed you to do that. See what it gets you. < /rant >
And... You're welcome!