Reply to: Detecting USB Usage

[Methuselah]

OOo. BT Vailt thing looks good. Thanks Clippy. I can get 5gb free as I'm a broadband customer too.

Thanks TonyE but Yahoo! is! blocked! at! client! also! D'oh!

I've had Gmail work where Yahoo and my own webmail didn't.

[NickFitz]

Yahoo! is! blocked! at! client! also! D'oh!

Do they carry out random body searches on people suspected of unauthorised abacus use, too?

"Alright sonny, put down the slide rule"

[MrRobin]

OOo. BT Vailt thing looks good. Thanks Clippy. I can get 5gb free as I'm a broadband customer too.

Thanks TonyE but Yahoo! is! blocked! at! client! also! D'oh!

[BoredBloke]

setup a yahoo email account and email to that - you can get a gb there also

[Clippy]

My client has recently introduced rules around USB memory sticks. In short you can't use them...

What's the best alternative to using memory sticks? A good online file depository or something?

Cheers. R

Try BT Digital Vault. The free service gives you 1Gb of storage.

http://www.productsandservices.bt.co...L_digitalvault

[daviejones]

The problems here are two, for me:
1. As part of my work, I bring knowledge on a USB stick. I also access it on the internet. I accept jobs on the basis of that being possible, and if it is not, any estimate or impression that I have given of being able to do the job on time, or at all, is rendered invalid.
2. I don't actually work for the client, I contract services to them. I no more undertake to spend all my office hours doing nothing but their job spec, than I undertake not to make or receive phone calls during office hours.

That sounds fair...the way I managed the IT would not work for everybody and exceptions would be made on a case by case basis.

[Methuselah]

I managed all of the IT for a call centre and never allowed the use of USB sticks, didn't give the user access to floppies, external ports, CD..nothing. I made them use mandatory profiles and gave them only what they needed to do their job. They could not get access to the root of C: and could not create directories on the PC. They had no utilities to browse the PC and had no command prompt...so with all that in mind, the USB seems trivial..hehehe

The problems here are two, for me:
1. As part of my work, I bring knowledge on a USB stick. I also access it on the internet. I accept jobs on the basis of that being possible, and if it is not, any estimate or impression that I have given of being able to do the job on time, or at all, is rendered invalid.
2. I don't actually work for the client, I contract services to them. I no more undertake to spend all my office hours doing nothing but their job spec, than I undertake not to make or receive phone calls during office hours.

[MrRobin]

As well as little things like being unable to change the screen saver or the (wrong) PC clock time

Or the resolution!! I seem to have a penchant to have my screen res at a much higher setting than anyone else (poss something to do with 1920x1200 at home) and when I am stuck in like 800x600 it drives me mad. Looks like I have the accessibility options switched on.

[daviejones]

I managed all of the IT for a call centre and never allowed the use of USB sticks, didn't give the user access to floppies, external ports, CD..nothing. I made them use mandatory profiles and gave them only what they needed to do their job. They could not get access to the root of C: and could not create directories on the PC. They had no utilities to browse the PC and had no command prompt...so with all that in mind, the USB seems trivial..hehehe

[Methuselah]

I had a similar thing at a client a while ago: they (that is, the IT bozos) wouldn't allow me to connect my MacBook to the network, wouldn't let me use a USB stick, wouldn't even let me write stuff to a CD-R and give it to somebody to copy onto the dev server. ...
Seriously

I believe it. I once worked at a place where you needed permission to read a CD-R (including the install CD for the software I was to work on) and access to one particular guy's PC to read it. Forget about ever writing anything.

Also, no external email, and webmail forbidden. As well as little things like being unable to change the screen saver or the (wrong) PC clock time.

I didn't stay long.

I have seen other banks with a policy of no USB, and no CD-writers; and internet use strictly business. If they add in no bringing in a laptop, you really have to decide whether you will work there. Personally I do believe that, while these choices are all the client's to make and take the consequences of, they are sufficiently abnormal in normal commercial work, that it is the client's responsibility to declare them in advance of the contractor making the decision whether to work there or not.

[MrRobin]

Yeah I think it's in response to a recent data leakage... This is though, if it was malicious theft, then there are many other ways to get data out anyway (ftp, cd-writers, email etc etc) and if it was an accidental loss then this ban is akin to banning all knives from the cateen because someone once accidentily cut themselves. Grr!

Anyway, it's not that big a problem, I suppose I can just email them to myself from home.

[NickFitz]

My client has recently introduced rules around USB memory sticks. In short you can't use them... at all... unless you get explicit permission for a very specific limited use from like someone so high up you've never ever see them.

I had a similar thing at a client a while ago: they (that is, the IT bozos) wouldn't allow me to connect my MacBook to the network, wouldn't let me use a USB stick, wouldn't even let me write stuff to a CD-R and give it to somebody to copy onto the dev server. Everybody knew it was ridiculous, but it was "policy" and nobody wanted to rock the boat. Made being a web developer rather tricky.

Secondly, what's the best alternative to using memory sticks? A good online file depository or something?

The solution we eventually hit upon was quite simple and straightforward: they got IT to have an ADSL line installed for use when I visited, over which I would upload files to a directory on the server hosting my website, then send the guy at the desk next to me an email with a link to the file I'd just uploaded, so he could download it to his desktop machine and then copy it to the server.

Seriously

[Dog_Yoghurt]

Some companies do deploy specialist software that prevents or allows USB usage and what exactly goes onto a stick or is copied off the stick - it's primarily to control the potential for data theft.

[portseven]

There are tools out there that can detect and prevent this stuff.

Landesk, SMS, Zenworks etc.

[Cowboy Bob]

My client has recently introduced rules around USB memory sticks. In short you can't use them... at all... unless you get explicit permission for a very specific limited use from like someone so high up you've never ever see them.

This is a blow to me as 1) I use various bits of code and documents etc I have written/acquired over the years in my everyday work that are stored on the strick and 2) I keep limited company stuff on it and update timesheets, invoices, CVs etc when work is quiet

I was told that the ominous 'they' would be able to detect when people were using them without authorisation. I'm not a hardware bod, but I'm pretty sceptical about this. Can anyone confirm? Secondly, what's the best alternative to using memory sticks? A good online file depository or something?

Cheers. R

They probably can detect it - I'm sure they could make the OS log all USB usage should they so wish.

The things is, I fail to see how these rules affect you as a contractor. You have been brought in to do a job, have been using a USB stick as part of that job since you have been there, and now they're telling you you can't. Sounds like D&C to me.

Personally I'd carry on using it, and if they don't like it, then its time to move on. It's one thing following a rule that doesnt' affect your job, it's another when your method of working as a professional is compromised.