A Day in the Life of Two IT Security Curmudgeons
Two IT security guys survive a routine day the way many of us do -- by observing their daily challenges in words one might find career-limiting. Here they speak frankly -- and anonymously -- in diary entries of 140 characters or less.
Thu, October 01, 2009
CSO — Editor's note: Let's face it -- sometimes the only way for an IT security practitioner to make it through a work day is to vent to someone about the ongoing folly of misconfigured networks, clueless vendors/contractors, pointy-headed bosses (they do exist beyond the Dilbert universe) and users who do stupid things.
Thanks to Twitter and one's ability to mask their identity with colorful user names, a lot of that venting now unfolds to the enjoyment of a wider group of people.
Twitter Bible: Everything You Need To Know About Twitter
Two particularly cantankerous IT security curmudgeons have given us permission to capture a snapshot of their lives as told in daily Twitter rants. The editor has taken the liberty of setting up these so-called tweets in a day-long diary format. The goal is to show readers that many of their daily challenges are indeed shared by others, and that sometimes the best defense to one's sanity is a bit of venting and dark humor. [For a slightly different, perhaps more optimistic take on this, see Confessions of a Security Optimist.]
To protect the innocent, we'll call these guys Mick and Larry.
10 p.m. Sunday:
Mick: Tired, and some dimwit scheduled a Monday tomorrow.
6-8 a.m. Monday
The day begins with our heroes braving the traffic and long coffee shop lines.
Mick: Mornin' world. It's a cyber-tastic Monday morning.
Upon looking out the window.
Mick: Ah, schweet, another crappy morning. A cool, wet puppy nose stuck in the butt of the day.
Mick: I am feeling especially stupid this morning. Please sir, may I have more caffeine?
Later, at the local Starbucks.
Mick: Dawdling in line at Sbux should be punishable by death. I need coffee, you are in my way, die now. Oh, and fall so you don't block the line. I have largely cut back to two doses a day, a 6-shot latte a.m., a Dr. Pepper p.m. Yes, that is cutting back for me.
A few state lines away, Larry faces the day. He wakes up with a feeling of dread.
Larry: Shaking off the bad feeling. OK, attempting to do so.
Then collects himself.
Larry: OK let's try this again. Meds, check. Coffee, check. Headphones and sunglasses on. Look out day job, here I come.
On the train to work, a text message arrives in his BlackBerry inbox like a ray of sunshine. His spirits instantly improve.
Larry: Beautiful Monday moment! Two-hour afternoon meeting cancelled. If there was more room on this train I'd dance. Woohoo!
Meanwhile, Mick settles in at the office.
