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Security Responsibility Without the Authority?
Slashdot reader jamie submits this story about security administration. If you have the responsibility for security without the authority to make changes, your only role is to be the fall guy when something goes wrong.
On the other hand this can be very good if you are *not* the guy with the responsibility. This means that when you fuck up there is a 'blame him' guy near by. :)
Slashdot Sig. version 0.1alpha. Use at your own risk.
Disaster, yes. But only if you're the fall guy. If you have little responsibility, it's great. Does anyone like the new ad at the top? Go IIS!!!
Anyone else want to share some of their favorite overused phrases with IT security?
My favorite phrase is "... working hard to ensure this never happens again". We usually hear that within 4 hours of a customer calling and using the phrase "you people". "You people lost my database again!" "We can assure you we are working hard to ensure this never happens again". We've had a 0 dollar buildout and maintenence budget for 4 years. They actually get MORE surprised each time something breaks, cause we're supposed to be getting better at using the tools we have.
Ok here's a different question -- anyone ever had to use their own property to band-aid something within the company about ready to explode?
slashdot: where everyone yells sarcastic metaphors to themselves to understand the issue
It's all about preconfiguring the blame
In the field of enviornmental compliance, the person 'in charge' is known as the 'designated inmate.'
Show me on the doll where his noodly appendage touched you.
We finally found what his job was when government auditors showed up. He was the company scapegoat. He got 9 months off work -- with pay. Within a month of coming back they announced he was retiring -- golden parachute, full pension.
I wanted that job!
"Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever." --Napoleon Bonaparte
All of the above and where I work Finance get the old slow equipment so they know why we need to upgrade.
Politics happen anytime you get 3 or more people working together.
I've seen it happen with just two. If you have multiple personalities, or if you take on multiple roles you could manage with just one. In that case, politics are better known as headaches.
"If you have the responsibility for security without the authority to make changes, your only role is to be the fall guy when something goes wrong."
Oh.
Great.
"Ah yes, Bernard. Responsiblity without power - the prerogative of the eunuch throughout the ages." - Sir Humphrey Appleby
"Life is like a sewer - what you get out of it depends on what you put into it" - Tom Lehrer
Please don't try to make more divisions in the church. It's God's church, and He won't take kindly to those who mess it up.