Attention Computer Techies
The IT guy was in yesterday. He is setting up a new backup system for the office network.
Currently, we back everything up at the end of each day, reusing the tape from the previous week. So at the end of Monday, we back-up using the tape from the Monday prior, and there is no more record of what happened a week ago. This has been a backbone of my blogging security... The new system will back up everyday, with master back-ups every Friday. My undestanding is that we will always be able to go back to any one day in the past and see the networks information, no matter how far back. This system takes effect in about three weeks.
Here are my questions:
1) When a network is backed up, is that backing up everyone's internet activity too, or just the files they create and save on the network (or my own C drive)?
2) Does it matter if I delete my cookies, temp files etc at the end of each day? I am not certain when the back-ups take place... that's not my job. But assuming I make sure to delete everything in my history, etc by noon, am I safe?
3) Is this job worth enough to give up blogging for?
Currently, we back everything up at the end of each day, reusing the tape from the previous week. So at the end of Monday, we back-up using the tape from the Monday prior, and there is no more record of what happened a week ago. This has been a backbone of my blogging security... The new system will back up everyday, with master back-ups every Friday. My undestanding is that we will always be able to go back to any one day in the past and see the networks information, no matter how far back. This system takes effect in about three weeks.
Here are my questions:
1) When a network is backed up, is that backing up everyone's internet activity too, or just the files they create and save on the network (or my own C drive)?
2) Does it matter if I delete my cookies, temp files etc at the end of each day? I am not certain when the back-ups take place... that's not my job. But assuming I make sure to delete everything in my history, etc by noon, am I safe?
3) Is this job worth enough to give up blogging for?
posted by Lex Fori at
10:42 AM
4 Comments:
I can't answer more affirmatively unless you know the backup software and which scheme the IT guy is going to implement. He's doing an incremental backup. Basically, every Friday, there'll be a fresh complete backup. On following days, Monday, Tuesday, etc., the system only backups files that it has noticed has changed from Friday's backup. That's why he can go back one day and see what has happened. He has a choice of what files to backup. It might be the entire hard drive on your own computer, whatever shared files you have on the network, or any combination thereof. Because of space and time reasons, it's preferable to just backup the crucial files like your notes, briefs, memos, etc., and not the whole frigging computer. On the other hand, it's sometimes difficult to tell what's important and just easier to backup the whole computer. In this case, it will include your cache and browser history. However, it's a lot of little files that changes constantly and there's no reason to save them, so most people wouldn't back them up.
I wouldn't make the assumption that deleting everything before noon is safe. I would guess he would make the backup either before the beginning of the workday or at the end of the workday, because it's easier to do it when people are not using their computers and having files open. Or he could be doing it whenever he feels like it. Since it's an incremental backup, it'll record what's changed, but it won't delete. Say on Monday, you have images from whitehouse.com on your hard drive. The backup records that. On Tuesday, you delete the images. The Tuesday backup will note the deletion, but not wipe the images. If he catches you once, he's got you for the whole week. But people usually use backups, well, to backup, not to snoop. Snooping is easier to do by other means.
Frankly, I wouldn't be worrying about the cache/temporary internet files. That's just too much garbage to go look through. If the IT staff is competent and want to limit your non-work-related activity, they're seeing which websites you're going to. They don't need to access your computer to do that, but instead just monitor the network.
As for the job being worth more than blogging, do you already got a book contract lined up if or when you out yourself?
By
Pettifogger, at 12:56 PM
Thank you so much for the information, I appreciate you sharing your knowledge.
The tech guy is on a contract basis, and only comes in when there are problems. The paralegal just goes in at some point during the day, throws in the tape and "backs up." I don't know the extent of it.
So... what are the better ways of snooping if bosses want to know what you're up to at work? You have sparked my curiosity...
As for the book deal, big fat no. But, The Boss pays me a low salary, and I think I would be able to get more somewhere else without risking him giving me away. It's one of those "I've got stuff on you, you've got stuff on me." situations. Frankly, sometimes I'm at the point where I want to quit anyhow, and if this became the breaking issue, I am confident enough that it wouldnt get out and break my legal future in this region. Most of the local attorneys dislike The Boss, because he is always taking their money. I would say during interviews that we had "professional differences" That would probably work in my favor.
But the blog saves a part of me that was dead for too long. It would be a hard thing for me to give up, emotionally.
By
Lex Fori, at 1:15 PM
Not my area of geekiness, but an easy way to monitor a worker's internet activity is with a proxy server. The proxy server logs where you go and can prevent you from going to NSFW sites.
If you use IE you can do the following:
1. Open Internet Explorer
2. Click on Tools
3. Click on Internet Options
4. Click on Connections
5. Click on the LAN Settings button
If you see an address in the textbox, you are using a proxy.
I wouldn't worry too much about the backups (too much data to scour), but even if you aren't behind a proxy, any internet activity you do on a work computer can be monitored with effort.
You should be safe if you are nice to your network geek and play it smart. Don't give any details about work and NEVER say negative about co-workers -- a friend got fired for slamming a co-worker and she didn't even post from work. Also, make sure your blogger account is set up to make you log-in every time you post.
Finally, never underestimate the power of strong Google-Fu :)
-Ryan
By
Anonymous, at 10:04 PM
I dunno if you are who I hope you are, but a great big thanks to Ryan as well. There is no proxy server and I am all over being nice to the computer tech. I don't think I can help it, I feel he holds too much of my life in his hands. I am weird when it comes to the treatment of the computer techs at any job I have had.
I have this thing for computer geeks. The Ex was a computer tech, Boyfriend is a computer enthusiast.... and I have never really needed to learned much about this stuff.
My Efficiency of a Relationship Thereom states that if you are with someone who has a particular skill, there is no point in learning it yourself. The Ex bought into this theory, helped me a lot on the legal front when the divorce went down.
I have a hard time holding back when it comes to blogging about work. There are so many things that happen around here that I just want blog immediately. The limited amount readers see is the tip of the iceburg...
As a blawger, I have often wished I had the freedom to talk more about the cases, that's the most powerful stuff that I could draw from my work environment. I try to be really careful about client confidences and not get into cases though. I know some readers wish that I did more - but my work involves death and sickness and families, things that would just break my privacy rules. And the AZ Supreme Court's Ethical Rules...
I realize it's a fine line with the co-workers though. Also that the The Boss and co-workers would likely be anti working with a blogger. If I thought they'd be cool with it, I would have told them. It's an addiction, I hide it from everyone, and I probably wouldn't give it up if they tried to schedule an intervention. In response to something Pettifogger mentioned, I don't think I'll ever publically out myself, because I have said some pretty radical shit here. If my ego and vanity can't handle it, I'll start another blog with my *real name*.
All that said, if I get caught:
Dear The Boss,
You should really give me a raise. It would allow me to buy better suits.
By
Lex Fori, at 9:00 AM
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