Well said.

As a network/systems admin I *don't* want to be part of the Thought Police who decide what you're allowed to do with the company equipment. I'm perfectly ok with you checking bank balance, doing personal email, surfing porn, whatever you want. Really! I think it's the manager's job to set & enforce the acceptable limitations of 'bringing home to work', not mine.

BUT. I do want to give you a secure and reliable computer - one that does everything the manager says it should do, even if one of those things is surfing porn (which is an extreme example - on purpose). The problem inherent in that is that once I allow you admin privs to your system, you or someone in a nearby cube will mistakenly install something which lowers the security and/or reliability of the network and systems we all share. You (or that other guy) probably won't do it on purpose, but it will happen.

So it's the same old question. How do I balance the security & reliability of the whole network against each individual's wish to bring a little bit of home to work? I want to do this, I really do.



[ reply ]

Link to this comment: http://www.securityfocus.com/comments/columns/372/32864#32864