HACKER Q&A
📣 jlelonm

What do you physically bring to and from work?


I started a job, and I was told that I couldn't leave my laptop on my desk for security reasons.

I find this strange, since you need badge access to get in, there's security cameras, the hard drive is encrypted, the OS is password protected, etc. It seems redundant.

It made me curious - what does your work let you bring in and bring out of the building?


  👤 ksaj Accepted Answer ✓
One of my clients discovered some things were going missing from their dev's desks. They installed a camera and on the very first night they discovered one of the cleaning staff rummaging through the desks, which instantly raised the threat level from "petty theft" to damn near espionage. They were clever enough that even in the video it was hard to tell what actions were cleaning, and what actions were searching for things to pilfer.

Of course that person got fired. My client subsequently enacted the same type of policy you are asking about. The staff there know exactly what happened, so there is very good incentive to simply follow the policy - nothing that isn't outright owned by the company stays within the company after hours, and everything that is owned by the company has strict handling procedures.

Security happens in layers. If you leave an opening, someone will eventually exploit it.


👤 sturza
macbook, phone charger, napkins, external battery, id, glasses case, ipad, house keys, wallet, phone, airpods, badge and some other temporary items(depending on weather, mood etc)