One of the most neglected topics when you’re at Pole (or
anywhere on Ice…or in any government contract, really) is INFOSEC. That’s a
buzzword for “Information Security”. INFOSEC boils down to a series of best
practices to keep your computer and the network safe from malicious code. It’s
a huge deal in military installations and large companies, but it’s important
no matter where you go. For instance: as a student pharmacist, if I ever let slip that
the governor of New Mexico regularly sneaks into Colorado to get his Viagra
prescription filled at my Walgreens, I could get in buckets of trouble.
Believe it or not, INFOSEC matters down here too. Mostly it
means we have to lock our computers when we leave a room, report
suspicious/spammy emails, and never discuss BEEEEP considering BEEEEEEEEEEEEEP BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP BEEEEEEEP BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP and those
damned probes. Could you imagine the panic that
would cause?
One of my co-workers (a brilliant and enigmatic man) has
taken it upon himself to keep an eye out for unlocked computers. He’s been
known to write harmless emails from unsecured accounts, play with the screen
orientation, even ghost write blog posts. It’s all done in good fun, and we’ve
all fallen victim to pranks at least once. Unfortunately, some of our fellow
Polies have found his brilliance to be a rebuke and have taken offence to his
delightful antics. We all hate these people who can’t take a joke.
As a counterexample, Kim (our lead) has been the butt of many a joke. Yet
she has been able to maintain a positive attitude and has only stabbed Steve
that one time.
In honesty though, his dedication and steadfast commitment
to our safety is what makes him a great American, and a great man. There are so
few people in this world that I actually respect…Steve is one of them.
From the bottom of my heart, I wish you God-Speed. Keep
fighting the good fight.
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| Yes, we all want you to INFOSEC properly |
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