h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Had a bit of a virus scare at work on friday eve last. A rather prolific one based on the latest windows zero day vulnerability.
Practical upshot is that they've run through all the computers and removed the icon files so they don't display.
Do you know how frustrating it is having a desktop (and start menu) full of blank icon images all the same? Didn't realise how much I relied on the icon till now.

Oh, and they have blocked us from copying .exe files to our local machines. Which is great - cos I'm trying to install some new software I need to do my job and I can't. Raised a help desk call about it (they haven't officially told us about the .exe lockdown) and it's been assigned priority 3 - the lowest. If 'I can't do my job because of this' is lowest priority what the heck is high priority? Apart from a campus wide virus risk that is

You know what to do, phone the BBC!

heh, I doubt even Anne Robinson could get the helpdesk functioning!

Wait. They let you install your own software? I can't even set the system time on my computer...

yep, at the moment they do!
Very lax really compared to most places but I feel there is a change coming and they're going to go for standard backgrounds and lock down the desktop. Which will be met with a lot of resistance and complaining I'm sure!

They barely filter the web either.

Can I help?

Lucky you! We've got a fancy web filter (no streaming, no embedded images, no photos, no social networking, unless required for work purposes) and aren't allowed to install software on our own. They didn't even let me install my own local printer- an IT guy did it for me.

We have had a couple viruses on the network brought in by people who plugged their work laptops in at home and infected them somehow?

yeah, that's the usual vector. Home networks or USB sticks or clicking on dodgy links. But then, as a uni, we're a bit of a hacking target as well. Plus all the resident 3l33t |-|ax0|2 on the computing courses trying to prove how clever they are.

But mainly we actually need to have a fair degree of freedom. We need to be able to install/uninstall/modify multiple versions of various development tools which all require admin access in windows. Mind you, in my experience, it only takes a month or so before there's a note going round with admin login details on it

>heh, I doubt even Anne Robinson could get the helpdesk functioning!<

Ah I think you misunderstood- how dare you forget one of my favourite anecdote.

When my lot moved from Brum to Cardiff some of the students stayed registered at Birmingham Uni. One of them found a serious security flaw in the remote registration process for become a student that year where he could press 'pagedown' or something and get someone elses student registration form complete with their home address, telephone numbers , bank details etc.

So he phone Brum's IT dept to tell them. They gave it a priority 3 - we're not going to even bother - code and basically ignored him.

So he called the BBC to tell them about this and it was featured on the local news, the Birmingham evening mail and online as 'Student Hacks In...'

Next thing he knew the powers that be at Brum went ape and he got arrested.* We go all our computers here confiscated by the cops and there was nearly a diplomatic incident between Birmingham and Cardiff Universities.



So, that's what I meant be going to the BBC


*This was during clearing in August - not the best time to give the university bad publicity.

http://xkcd.com/722/

Vaguely relevant and I get chance to link to XKCD

Orcus and for my memory - I do indeed recall that one! God, if actually said what had lead up to this situation I suspect it might end up being a CLM

MP - Are you saying I should get a cat? You wouldn't be the first!

Our computer policies are very restrictive, but seem to work. There are over 5,000 computers being administered by our IT department, and they've not had a single virus in six years...

well, they've got the drain cleaner onto the network and cleared out the infections and now we can write .exe files to our harddrives again.

Which is great. Ish.

Cos just now I'm trying to install j2ee sdk 1.4 which I need for testing my code. Only I can't, and having a look at the files I can't write they have 1 thing in common. They have 'password' in their name. So password.dll and jmxremote.password.template are no go. Which means I can't install the software and can't test my code. Great.

I mean come *on*. Anyone stupid enough to have a file on their hard disk called 'password' a) probably has it on post its on their desk as well b) probably calls it after their partner/cat/dog and c) deserves everything that happens to them.

And, as shown, it is perfectly legit to have files called 'password'.something.

And what would you do if you couldn't do this?
Perhaps try 'drowssap'? Yep, that's allowed. 'access' - yep, that's allowed.'pwd' - yep again.

Any possibility of installing a VM and using that as a sandbox environment to run/test your java stuff?

a VM? Blimey, that's a bit advanced for this place

Probably could, might give it a go - depends on how their policy works...
Plus these cruddy machines would prob collapse under the processing required!

I can see Brum Uni has changed little since I left

good to know some traditions are kept eh?