it posts

A Guide for First-Time IT Employees

by Warren Riddle (RSS feed) — Aug 12th 2009 at 8:21AM

Yacoset, a Google-hosted site that provides "Software Engineering Tips," has released a guide for recently graduated students who are about to experience their first taste of the real world. Yes, the actual world of employment, where they'll get up early every morning, put on a (non-popped) collared shirt, and toil for nine long hours in an office where, according to Yacoset, "Nobody knows what they are doing."

The piece focuses on preparing young professionals for the initial, and lingering, shock that comes with working for a series of managers who "have no clue what they want or how to get it." The guide describes how to address infuriating instances of widespread ineptitude and basic tech ignorance, but it also offers helpful tips on forging office allies and moving up the corporate ladder.

Tags: employment, funny, IT, IT jobs, ItJobs, jobs, top, yacoset

Computers

Study Suggests Your IT Staff May Be Snooping On You

by Caleb Johnson (RSS feed) — Jun 10th 2009 at 4:10PM

Just when you thought records, passwords, and other personal information might be safe at the office, Reuters reports that a new study by Cyber-Ark, a data security company, found that 35-percent of Information Technology (IT) professionals use their digital know-how to access confidential information at work. This marks a 2-percent increase since a similar study was conducted last year.

The 400 senior IT professionals surveyed (in the United States and U.K.) admitted to sneaking a peek at everything from salary details to minutes from board meetings. However, the study found the most commonly snooped data were human resource records. Customer databases, merger and acquisition plans, layoff lists, and marketing information rounded out the list of most snooped information.

Tags: data security, DataSecurity, employment, information technology, InformationTechnology, it, security, top

Computers

Municipal IT Director Fired for Downloading 24,466 Porn Images

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Apr 25th 2009 at 6:11AM

Georgian IT Director Fired For Downloading Porn on Work PC

We're not sure exactly what Brad Williams, the now-former IT director for the city of Norcross, Georgia, could have been thinking if he in fact did as he's been alleged to do -- used his work computer to download some 24,466 pornographic images. As part of an investigation into William's poor job performance, monitoring software was loaded on his office PC, eventually revealing the inappropriate files, all meticulously arranged in directories and subfolders.

David Studdard, William's attorney, suggested to the City Council that there was no "smoking gun" linking his client to the images, and that any number of people in the office could have had access to the PC and downloaded the images. Of course, attorneys for the city have dismissed the idea that Williams was framed.

Williams has asked for his job back, but, even if cleared of the charges surrounding the rather sizable porn collection, he is unlikely to be reinstated. During his hearing, other city employees described him as "lazy, unconcerned with fixing computer problems or even paying the bills," according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. [From: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Via: Fark]

Tags: fired, IT, porn, pornography, sex, top, work, workplace

Computers

Computer Consultant Allegedly Siphoned $1M From Utah Bank

by Ian Rowan (RSS feed) — Apr 14th 2009 at 2:10PM

When consultant jobs are few and far between, you have to make the most out of the ones you can get. Take, for instance, Zeldon Morris. When the Family First Credit Union in Orem, Utah hired the Provo man to fix some bugs in a recent computer upgrade, Morris decided to take some liberties with a few of the accounts, according to Provo's Daily Herald.

According to recently submitted court documents, Morris made false deposits via several electronic transfers into his personal and business accounts from June of 2008 to January of 2009 -- all to the tune of over $1 million. He allegedly used the money to remodel his home, pay off his two car notes, and cover a few mortgage payments. (At least he's propping up Sallie Mae!)

All of this came to the attention of the credit union last month when Morris' business partner, Eunyong Lee, blew the whistle after seeing some suspicious transactions and suspecting that they were related to fraud. Many technology business analysts have been predicting that, as the recession gets worse, more IT professionals will turn to fraud as a means of making money. Court documents say that Family First Credit Union would not have discovered Mr. Morris' scheme if it had not been for Mr. Lee. With that in mind, who knows what other scams we'll hear about long after they've been committed?

Morris was arrested last Wednesday, and arraigned the following day, entering a plea of not guilty. The alleged swindler has been charged with one count of bank fraud. [From: Daily Herald]

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Tags: banks, business, crime, crime and punishment, CrimeAndPunishment, cyber crime, CyberCrime, expire-images:2010-4-14, identity theft, IdentityTheft, IT, recession

Computers, Web

7 'Dirtiest' Computer Jobs, According to InfoWorld

by Lee Bains (RSS feed) — Apr 8th 2009 at 1:40PM

While we've frequently heard the word "dirty" associated with technology, we're struggling to think of an instance when the word was meant literally. Leave it to InfoWorld, though, to compile a list of "Even dirtier IT jobs," a follow up to last year's "The 7 dirtiest jobs in IT." (IT, of course, standing for Information Technology, which is another way of saying the person who manages computer systems, or does computer work of some kind, either at your office or somewhere else.)

According to InfoWorld, the average day in the life of a "disconnect/reconnect specialist," a "zombie console monkey," or an "IT mortician" is no cakewalk, and we tend to agree. We've all done our fair share of "data entry," and, really, at the end of the day, it about feels equivalent to having a frontal lobotomy. From crawling into the dust bunny-ridden underbellies of desks, to blankly staring at server logs, IT guys and gals can certainly have some pretty crummy jobs.

Still, that being said, we don't really see how these jobs are dirty (leaving a possible exception for the aforementioned dust bunny-wranglers). After all, we're still, a year later, prying caked pieces of red mud up off our floorboards and driver's seat from that last construction job we worked. These days, the dirtiest our computer jobs get is when, while frantically typing, we spill coffee down our shirts. [From: InfoWorld]

Related Links:

Tags: dirty jobs, DirtyJobs, IT, jobs

Computers

Disgruntled Worker Hacks and Shuts Down Oil Leak System

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Mar 19th 2009 at 4:32PM

Seriously, people. We've said it before but hacking your current or former employer because you're not happy with your job, desk, or termination is not a constructive way to deal with the problem.

The latest idiot to clearly overstep his legal boundaries is Mario Azar, a 28-year-old former IT worker for Pacific Energy Resources (PER). According to Wired, the Los Angeles resident has been indicted by a grand jury for allegedly disabling computer systems at PER that monitored oil pipelines for leaks, potentially allowing for an environmental catastrophe.

According to the indictment, Azar sought a permanent job from PER after his temporary contract expired. His request was rebuffed, so they allege Azar hacked into the company's servers and shut down the leak monitoring systems from his home.

Looks like that warning about IT guys turning to crime was spot on. [From: Wired]

Related Links:

Tags: hack, hacking, hacks, it, job, oil, oil pipeline, OilPipeline, security, work

Computers

Tech-Skills Essential for Any Job, Students Say

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Mar 13th 2009 at 2:56PM

Students Realize Tech-Savviness Essential for Any Job

A new survey performed by IBM and the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion has given us hope that college kids aren't as naive and ill-prepared for the real world as we thought they were. In a poll of about 1,600 college students, 80-percent replied that they expected to encounter new technology when they enter the workforce and 50-percent were actively seeking to improve their technology skills.

Students are realizing that, in addition to having skills specific to their field, they'll need at least some experience and knowledge of computers and other technology. Regardless of a student's chosen field, it's increasingly likely that their potential employers will be looking for some IT skills.

This isn't exactly a revelation, but we're glad to see that students are aware of and preparing themselves for the new expectations placed on employees. [From: Network World]

Related Links:

Tags: college, it, jobs, office, recession, survey, work, workforce, workplace

Computers

Jobless Techies Will Turn to Crime: From IT to GTA?

by Ian Rowan (RSS feed) — Dec 13th 2008 at 12:01PM

Nick Heath from Silicon.com (over in the UK) is warning that another recession woe will lead to the inevitable rise of cyber crime.

It makes sense; the Internet Technology (IT) sector employs quite a few folks that know their way around security measures, they may have installed them in the first place. Some of these disgruntled, soon to be ex-employees are going to be a bit more prone to breaking the law. Those overseeing sensitive data caches, such as credit card information, bank accounts, or important corporate information, could theoretically walk out the door with pink slip and data in hand.

This is not the first time that this has happened. According to Neil Ysart, senior manager of forensic services at PricewaterhouseCoopers, "There was a range of very well-documented frauds that took place during the recession in the early 1990s and it does not take a great deal of insight to realize we will see an increase at a time like this."

So, not only do we have to be worried about our job now we have to be wary of the IT guy wiping out our entire bank account. Unless you are the IT guy, and in that case can we have a loan? [From: Silicon.com]

Tags: crime, economy, expire-images2009-12-12, it, jobs, tech

Computers

Students Avoiding Computer Degrees, Even Though Jobs Are Plentiful

by Evan Shamoon (RSS feed) — Jun 25th 2008 at 10:17AM

IT (Information Technology) pays well and there are tons of available jobs. And guess what? Americans under the age of 30 don't actually seem to want them.

The Computing Research Association's Taulbee Survey is an annual study conducted at universities with Ph.D. programs, and this year's shows a 20% drop between 2005-06 and 2006-07 in students completing bachelors degrees in professional IT fields.

The CRA's study also found that total enrollment in computer science programs at these North American universities fell to 46,227, a 50% drop over five years before. Oh, and if anyone's taking the jobs, it's white men. From the study:

Perhaps even more alarming is the drop in the fraction of bachelor's degrees awarded to women, from 14.2 percent last year to 11.8 percent this year. [The] fraction of new female students is reported now to be less than 10 percent in many bachelor's programs. Ethnicity is also less diverse, with the proportion of white, non-Hispanics receiving bachelor's degrees rising to 66.0 percent from 59.6 percent just two years ago. [These] are serious problems in achieving our field's diversity goals.

Still, it's hard to explain just why the drops are happening. Computer Science is tied for second with health majors for the highest median salary at the bachelor's level ($45,000), and tied for first with engineering at the master's level ($65,000).

We'd need a degree in computer science sociology to figure this one out. [Source: Betanews]

Tags: btsnews, education, information technology, InformationTechnology, IT, jobs, surveys, trends

Cell Phones, Top Lists, iPhone

10 Reasons Your IT Department Won't Support the iPhone

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Dec 14th 2007 at 2:14PM

Since the iPhone's release, IT departments across the nation have been pestered by Apple users who want to replace their Blackberry or company-issued mobile phone with an iPhone. And of course IT departments across the nation have replied with a hearty 'no.'

Why? Well it's actually pretty straightforward, and Fortune has taken the time to explain the top 10 reasons in some pretty basic terms. But we're going to boil it down even further for you.

The number one reason is that the iPhone doesn't support synchronization with Microsoft Exchange or Lotus Notes. Sure, there are some workarounds, but your IT department isn't going to specially configure its mail and calendar servers just so a few early adopters can get their multi-touch on.

Number two: no real security. No encrypting data. No way to remotely lock or wipe the phone. For any business that relies on proprietary data, that's a deal-killer.

And number three: no customization. How can a bank remove the YouTube gadget? How can an insurance company install its mobile claims submission software? Oh right -- they cant. They can't even replace the battery if it keels over on you in the middle of an important business trip.

Fortune has seven more, but those three reasons alone are more than enough to doom the iPhone in an enterprise environment. So unless Apple changes the iPhone, we wouldn't hold our breath on an Apple handset making it into your corporate office anytime soon.

From Fortune

Related links:

Tags: apple, corporate, enterprise, iphone, it

Computers

IT Workers Like Sleep and Hanky Panky on the Job

by Tim Stevens (RSS feed) — Sep 28th 2007 at 12:02PM

Half of IT-Workers Sleep, Make Out at Work

Is your computer still on the fritz and that helpdesk worker you called a week ago still hasn't shown up? We know what's keeping him.

A new online survey indicates that nearly half of IT workers have fallen asleep on the job. About the same number have kissed a co-worker -- on the job. That first statistic should be no surprise to any techie who has pulled an all-nighter or come in at an ungodly hour of the morning to get some software release completed. However, that second statistic is a bit surprising. Perhaps that lends a little more credence to the theory that geeks do it better.

From Slashdot

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Tags: breaking+news, Helpdesk, IT, jobs, Sleep, top, work

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'Black Friday' Deals to Watch For

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Black Friday' Deals to Watch For

Traditionalists might balk, but the holiday shopping season is already underway. Skeptical? Head to your local department store and you'll be inundated by Christmas trees and ornaments. Bargain hunters, though, know that the real deals are more than a month away.

Black Friday, traditionally, is when retailers truly slash prices. Early birds can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars off of their holiday bills. Switched.com checked with a few elves, who gave a sneak peek at what you can expect deal-wise this year.

Blu-ray Players and Movies: Blu-ray is shaping up to be the biggest door buster of this year's Black Friday. de Grandpre expects at least one retailer will offer a Blu-ray player for just $49. Look for bargains on Blu-ray films as well, with last year's hit titles (such as "Iron Man") to fall as low as $5.

Laptops: With the proliferation of Netbooks this year, it's never been easier to find affordable portable computing, but Dan de Grandpre, CEO of DealNews.com says it will get even cheaper on Black Friday. Look for well-equipped Netbooks to sell for $199 – and basic 15" laptops to go for as little as $249.

HDTVs (Pretty big): The holidays are typically the best time to buy a new TV – and Black Friday is the time to do it. If you're looking for a normal sized set, you're in luck. Piper Jaffrey analyst Mitch Kaiser says he expects to see 32-inch LCD sets for as low as $299. GottaDeal.com is estimating 37-inch plasma and LCD sets will fall to $399 or less.

HDTVs (Really big): Need something bigger? How about a 46-47 inch LCD set for $599 – a 25 percent savings? Or a 52-inch LCD for $999? Dealnews says you can expect both. Plasma deals will be a little harder to come by, but a 50-inch set should run roughly $899.

HD Camcorders: You've wanted to shoot your child's school play in HD for a while, but haven't been able to spring for the pricey camcorder. This might be the year. Low-end, flash-based 720p models could drop as low as $60 (though you won't be able to zoom with those). Expect a high quality 1080p HD camcorder for $349.

GPS: While navigation systems have dramatically expanded their reach this year – even making it onto the iPhone – there's still a market for car-based systems. Dealnews predicts you'll be able to find a no-name entry-level system for $49, while a Garmin or Tom-Tom brand will be as low as $69.

Digital Picture Frames: Showcasing your digital pictures consistently gets cheaper. This year, skip the 7-inch screens and focus on the 8- or 9-inch ones, which should be available on Black Friday for as little as $30.

Monitors: Computer monitors might not be the sexiest of gifts, but they're usually welcomed with open arms – and they'll be cheap this year. Name brand 22-inch LCD models may go for as low as $99, while 24-inch models will drop below $150.

Memory: Don't know anyone who needs a monitor? External hard drives are always popular, since they're an easy way to back-up data. Dealnews expects a 1TB drive to fall as low as $49 this year. Gottadeal is looking for 8GB flash drives to hit $15.

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