A security blanket

Isn't it a shame that IT departments the world over use security as their last bastion of control and as justification for blocking all sorts of legitimate and effective use of new technologies when all it takes is someone to stick a couple of CD's in a jiffy bag for the whole thing to look rather silly.

Comments

[Alek Lotoczko]

Expect a knee-jerk reaction from IT departments as they attempt to disable the workforce’s DVD re-writers and USB ports.

[Badger Gravling]

The saddest thing is that a properly run, resourced and supported IT dept could be such a positive asset to any company. If only that happened, and the IT crowd could be allowed to take a few risks and maybe enjoy their jobs?

http://thewayoftheweb.blogspot.com/2007/01/it-could-lead-revolution.html

[Euan Semple]

I agree totally that IT could have so much fun as enablers. Part of why they end up being risk averse is the fact that people in business have been beating them up for decades but it not really an excuse.

[Badger Gravling]

And the worst thing is that most people in IT would love to be seen and treated as enablers, but it tends to be a centralised view imposed on them and employees that everyone should be as locked down as possible.

if you're employing idiots who are likely to download every bit of malware and virus-infected software, maybe the employment and training practices need updating, rather than locking your users down in an era when a new piece of software can change the status quo so quickly?

[Euan Semple]

Or at least just treat them as grown ups. One of the things I love about the Mac is you have to take responsibility for your own computing. There is a co-dependancy between users and support in a Windoze environment that keep people passive users

[Matt]

Good to meet the other day Euan. I am very frustrated about this CD drama, as my son and I are on the said CDs!

It seems that that government is so bent on locking down its IT systems, that the staff can no longer do their jobs. Trust and training is perhaps what is needed.

That said it takes such unbelieveble incopetance (at huge cost) to design as system that allows an office junior to download 25M personal and highyly sensative records and pop them in the post?