Slashdot Mirror
Employees Are The Biggest Security Threat
blankmange writes "BBC News is reporting that the employees of a company pose the biggest threat to security. "Digital cameras, MP3 players and handheld computers could be the tools that disgruntled UK employees use to sabotage computer systems or steal vital data, warn security experts. The removable memory cards inside the devices could be used to bring in software that looks for vulnerabilities on a company's internal network. The innocent-looking devices could also be used to smuggle out confidential or sensitive information." Unfortunately, this is not news, but it is amazing how slowly the general public, corporations included, comes around on issues like these. "
I've had 10 time more computer problems with users trying to install thier own software than any virus.
Plus when someone is about to be fired they try to e-mail 500 megs of files to thier 10 meg home account. E-mail Bounce of Death anyone?
You say things that offend me and I can deal with it. Can you?
call the BSA hotline.
Sig: What Happened To The Censorware Project (censorware.org)
"I don't think its a coincidence that most employee sabotage is done by employees." - Scott Adams
-- Probability does not dismiss possibility --
Correction: People who BELIEVE they're happy don't try to screw you over. You're not supposed to actually make people happy. Otherwise you end up with something like a baked alaska.
So that's the problem! That's it, I'm getting rid of all my employees!! In today's day and age, how can any company risk having autonomous entities of unknown motivation and capability wandering around?!? touching the company's stuff?!!? accessing the company's data?!!!? looking at things?!!!!? Ahhckg!!! Fire them all!!!!!
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."
Big Corporate Manager: "Goodness, it says here that our biggest security threat is our employees! Well, I suggest that in order to keep them under control, we should institute a set of draconian rules on their behavior and treat them with the utmost resentment possible! Also, take this down, we should constantly address them like they are a liability instead of an asset."
Big Corporate Lackey: "We already do that, sir!"
Big Corporate Manager: "Damn, that was a close one! I thought for a moment there we had a security breach on our hands. Good work. Let's go play some golf."
Big Corporate Lackey: "I'll get the clubs, sir!"
There's some things money can't buy, for the rest; raid the retirement fund.
The "biggest threat to security" is almost always the folks working in the Security Department. This has been the case for more than 50 years.
There could be a good research paper here. Is it because these folks have too much idle time on their hands? Is it because the line of work keeps them focusing on negative activities? Is it because they are exposed to the company's weaknesses and become tempted by them? Is it because this line of work attracts thieves? Is it because companies use the 'it takes a thief to catch a thief' philosophy? Do 'Heads of Security' purposely hire thieves to keep levels of theft up, so as to justify bigger budgets? Outsourcing 'Security' does not solve the problem, it just makes it into someone else's profit center.
My father tells the story of a guy working at an auto assembly plant who took home an entire car -- piece by piece!
This 'article' is not News. Look at it's source. It's a marketing piece. Slashdot fell for someone's FUD marketing. I know it's Monday morning, but still...
I figured out early on that not only can you get pictures out of digital cameras, you can put them in as well. I grabbed his memory stick, put it in my memory stick reader, and downloaded some juicy pr0n and mixed it in with the photos.
He had a very hard time explaining where the photos came from.
I tried every decent and legal way I could think of to resolve the issue w/the business before I rented the chicken suit
You seem to write at a 3rd or 4th grade level..
:-)
Well, that's management material right there! You wouldn't want the person in charge of making decisions to articulate their thought clearly and precisely, would you?
Bush Lies Watch
Only if you take their staplers away from them.
-atrowe: Card-carrying Mensa member. I have no toleranse for stupidity.
You could just bring a floppy/cd with you
These items and memory sticks, digital camers & mp3 players can be hidden in people's clothing, and therefore, the real solution is to disallow all clothing on the premises of the business. People could also hide such items up their butt, so you'll need to check there too before allowing employees admittance. (Well, maybe not the CD...)
Recently scientist found the astonishing amount of dead that have lived at some time before their demise.
Prof. Harald Dumpfbacke Radab claims that by removing all living people from society, death could be reduced by up to 99.8%!
We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
no,
:)
:"Oh, sorry Sir we don't have those" :"Oh bugger, now I'll have to unpack all this stuff and put it in bags"
I use a lead bag, the sort for protecting film's through x-ray machines
never failed me yet. I used to stand behind the plain clothes store detective in HMV while I put the CDs in it. Not for any reason other than it makes a better story
I got nicked pushing a trolley through the doors @ ASDA (now wal-mart) with over £170 of er goriceries in it my bravado having taken over my reasoning. Can't complain though I'd had over £200 of groceries out of the same store that week. My best haul was going up the the security guard in the door with a full trolley and asking him where the cardboard boxes where so I could use them to put the groceries in:
sg
me
sg : "That's ok Sir, I'll get someone to do it for you"
And I stood there watching the ASDA employees putting my unpaid for shopping into bags for me so I could carry it to the car!
happy days
There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
Then they immediately ask me for penetration testing.
;)
Can you sue them for sexual harassment?
[ wink wink nudge nudge ]
deus does not exist but if he does
the real solution is to disallow all clothing on the premises of the business
I hope to god that you're planning on making attendance at the gym mandatory.
"We returned the General to El Salvador, or maybe Guatemala, it's difficult to tell from 10,000 feet"
In the lates issue of Duh! magazine:
Health: Cigarettes cause cancer!
Politics: Research shows politicians like money.
Business: Profit helps businesses grow.
Computer security: Your employees' root access is a security threat!
... "Give me a woman who loves beer and I will conquer the w