Ask Slashdot: Do I Give IT a Login On Our Dept. Server?

Posted by CmdrTaco on Monday April 18, 2011 @04:18AM from the would-they-give-one-to-you dept.

jddorian writes "I am head of a clinical division at an academic hospital (not Radiology, but similarly tech oriented). My fellow faculty (a dozen or so) want to switch from a paper calendar to electronic (night and weekend on-call schedule). Most have an iPhone or similar, so I envisaged a CalDAV server. The Hospital IT department doesn't offer any iPhone compatible calendar tool, so I bought (with my cash) a tiny server, installed BSD and OpenLDAP for accounts, and installed and configured DAViCal. After I tested it out, I emailed IT to ask to allow port 8443 through the hospital firewall to this server. The tech (after asking what port 8443 was for), said he would unblock the port after I provide him with a login account on the machine (though 'I don't need root access'). I was taken aback, and after considering it, I am still leaning toward opposing this request, possibly taking this up the chain. I'm happy to allow any scan, to ensure it has no security issues, but I'd rather not let anyone else have a login account. What do the readers of Slashdot think? Should I give IT a login account on a server that is not owned or managed by them?"

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Re:RTFP (Read the Foolish Policies) by Anonymous Coward · 2011-04-18 04:42 · Score: 4, Funny

If my parents need a port to be opened, they have to come down to the basement and ask me.
Medical advice by ElMiguel · 2011-04-18 05:19 · Score: 5, Funny

The fact that you were "taken aback" by a request to follow policy indicates that you most likely view this as a dick waving contest. It is not. Your dick will not shrink if you allow the computer professionals to audit your work and comply with hospital policy and the law.
Now who's the doctor here?