I also used to work in a bank, and there was this opt-in network (you actually had to ask for it, and it of course put you on a "watch" list for performance and such) on a regular home-grade connection, called "red cable". It got you access to a nearly unrestricted NAT connection (separation for each floor, wireless network segments, and meeting rooms), and incidentally allowed IT folks to download packages and other cumbersome images that the regular proxy would not download/filter. Meeting rooms also were wired in this fashion, in their own isolated VLANs so as to not infect guests with crap our execs would download.;)
On top of that we then could implement an HTTPS reverse proxy system (OpenBSD + nginx) to publish data used in meetings with outside people (vendors and such), with Kerberos password + client certificates for authentication, and very strict monitoring on said box to ensure no one accessed it out of planned timeframes.
Cons : - The really cumbersome thing was, getting a restricted file (some legit packages like WireShark would get recognized as malware) on the main network, which also had its own restrictions of course, except for the IT admin floor. - A little more maintenance trouble, and execs throwing a fit when this supposedly "non business critical" connection went down, and it turns out someone was using it for "very important downloads". I dropped enough hints here, three guesses as to what these were.
Pros : - This allowed BYOD relatively seamlessly for the execs, so they didn't feel the need to ask for admin privileges on their main network workstations. - And yes, some execs and IT goons would do insane torrenting and porn surfing on that network, and make a mess of it, but at least it was walled and easier to purge through fire when time called for it.
They want to be kings ? Let them be kings of a pile of dirt, play with mud like kids, and con them in believing dirt is the new gold.
This is the reason why you sign a discharge/handover document upon leaving a company, even if you are fired "on the spot" : - to prove that the employer DID notify you of what was subject to non-disclosure - to prove that the employee DID return any assets (physical or otherwise) he was in charge of - to prove that the employee DID proceed to skill transfer/handover of technical expertise, or important information (which means : you don't get sued for any software/hardware crash after you left, as long as it was in the handover/transfer scope; because the remaining staff is therefore supposed to be able to deal with it ; supposed being the keyword of course)
If you have such an agreement, which is dated written evidence, then an employer can't pull this on you. If he does and destroys the passwords, well, tough luck, it's all on his head. If you don't have an agreement like that, then you need to level up in CYA skills, or if your employer refuses to give you one such agreement then you needed a new employer anyway.
The first time I realized I had really started to integrate was when an old women casually asked me to open a bottle for her. It's hard to explain but somehow your mannerisms and the fact that you blend in without making a fuss send out a signal to people that they can relax.
Confirmed. I have been living eight years in Japan, and I know for a fact I started mimicking their body language in most situations and it just "works", period. It also helps that my attire when going to work is close enough to what registers in their book as "a working employee" so no one takes notice.
The culture is geared a lot towards "protecting the peace" (though for some people it CAN mean "keeping the status quo", for both good and bad meanings...) and keeping everyone at ease. If your behavior is geared towards that and you don't overstep your bounds (consciously or not, the "gaijin smash" effect), you'll have an easy time integrating.
So far the only institutions to have given me any form of flak have been banks : took 2 years to get a credit card there, it can be done by paying all your bills and rent on time, and building a good record over time, passing certifications (hell, even just getting your japanese driver's license will go a LONG way) and showing them you want to integrate and that you're here for a while, and not going to run away at the first problem, saddling them with unpaid credit card bills or such.
Digressing a bit, some workplaces are bent on rejecting change and reality even when by all accounts they should adapt or collapse, but then again I guess you see that everywhere. It's just that when observed by "foreigners" in a "Japanese traditional company" with a lot of skeletons and black history, it gets warped into a cultural/communication problem. (Incidentally, this should be your #1 indicator that someone is trying to bullshit/hide stuff from you/worse)
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I also used to work in a bank, and there was this opt-in network (you actually had to ask for it, and it of course put you on a "watch" list for performance and such) on a regular home-grade connection, called "red cable". It got you access to a nearly unrestricted NAT connection (separation for each floor, wireless network segments, and meeting rooms), and incidentally allowed IT folks to download packages and other cumbersome images that the regular proxy would not download/filter. ;)
Meeting rooms also were wired in this fashion, in their own isolated VLANs so as to not infect guests with crap our execs would download.
On top of that we then could implement an HTTPS reverse proxy system (OpenBSD + nginx) to publish data used in meetings with outside people (vendors and such), with Kerberos password + client certificates for authentication, and very strict monitoring on said box to ensure no one accessed it out of planned timeframes.
Cons :
- The really cumbersome thing was, getting a restricted file (some legit packages like WireShark would get recognized as malware) on the main network, which also had its own restrictions of course, except for the IT admin floor.
- A little more maintenance trouble, and execs throwing a fit when this supposedly "non business critical" connection went down, and it turns out someone was using it for "very important downloads". I dropped enough hints here, three guesses as to what these were.
Pros :
- This allowed BYOD relatively seamlessly for the execs, so they didn't feel the need to ask for admin privileges on their main network workstations.
- And yes, some execs and IT goons would do insane torrenting and porn surfing on that network, and make a mess of it, but at least it was walled and easier to purge through fire when time called for it.
They want to be kings ? Let them be kings of a pile of dirt, play with mud like kids, and con them in believing dirt is the new gold.
This is the reason why you sign a discharge/handover document upon leaving a company, even if you are fired "on the spot" :
- to prove that the employer DID notify you of what was subject to non-disclosure
- to prove that the employee DID return any assets (physical or otherwise) he was in charge of
- to prove that the employee DID proceed to skill transfer/handover of technical expertise, or important information (which means : you don't get sued for any software/hardware crash after you left, as long as it was in the handover/transfer scope; because the remaining staff is therefore supposed to be able to deal with it ; supposed being the keyword of course)
If you have such an agreement, which is dated written evidence, then an employer can't pull this on you. If he does and destroys the passwords, well, tough luck, it's all on his head.
If you don't have an agreement like that, then you need to level up in CYA skills, or if your employer refuses to give you one such agreement then you needed a new employer anyway.
The first time I realized I had really started to integrate was when an old women casually asked me to open a bottle for her. It's hard to explain but somehow your mannerisms and the fact that you blend in without making a fuss send out a signal to people that they can relax.
Confirmed. I have been living eight years in Japan, and I know for a fact I started mimicking their body language in most situations and it just "works", period. It also helps that my attire when going to work is close enough to what registers in their book as "a working employee" so no one takes notice.
The culture is geared a lot towards "protecting the peace" (though for some people it CAN mean "keeping the status quo", for both good and bad meanings...) and keeping everyone at ease. If your behavior is geared towards that and you don't overstep your bounds (consciously or not, the "gaijin smash" effect), you'll have an easy time integrating.
So far the only institutions to have given me any form of flak have been banks : took 2 years to get a credit card there, it can be done by paying all your bills and rent on time, and building a good record over time, passing certifications (hell, even just getting your japanese driver's license will go a LONG way) and showing them you want to integrate and that you're here for a while, and not going to run away at the first problem, saddling them with unpaid credit card bills or such.
Digressing a bit, some workplaces are bent on rejecting change and reality even when by all accounts they should adapt or collapse, but then again I guess you see that everywhere. It's just that when observed by "foreigners" in a "Japanese traditional company" with a lot of skeletons and black history, it gets warped into a cultural/communication problem. (Incidentally, this should be your #1 indicator that someone is trying to bullshit/hide stuff from you/worse)