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rivkaThe clinic where I work two days a week refuses to give me login privileges to their network. Their rationale: I'm a contractor. Only employees may access the network, for security reasons. Okay.
We're not talking electronic patient charts. But I need to be able to check my e-mail from the clinic, and use the shared clinic computers to write up reports. Big signs over each computer require employees to log off when they're done. So without a login, I can't even access MS Word.
"You'll have to get someone to log in for you each time," the clinic director told me. Okay. So that's what I do.
The other day, one of the clinic employees came by as I was typing away and asked me, "Are you still using the computer as me?"
"No," I said. "I have to get someone to log me in each time."
"Well, I don't mind if you want to be me."
"I can't just log in as you," I explained. "I would need to know your password."
So she told it to me.
"Your password is the same as your login?" I asked.
"Yeah." She seemed surprised that I was surprised. "I think just about everybody's is."
So far I've confirmed that for the two other employees I've checked. This is the system, remember, where allowing official access to a contractor of three years' duration would be an unacceptable security breach. I believe that this is what's known as straining at a security gnat and swallowing a security camel.
We're not talking electronic patient charts. But I need to be able to check my e-mail from the clinic, and use the shared clinic computers to write up reports. Big signs over each computer require employees to log off when they're done. So without a login, I can't even access MS Word.
"You'll have to get someone to log in for you each time," the clinic director told me. Okay. So that's what I do.
The other day, one of the clinic employees came by as I was typing away and asked me, "Are you still using the computer as me?"
"No," I said. "I have to get someone to log me in each time."
"Well, I don't mind if you want to be me."
"I can't just log in as you," I explained. "I would need to know your password."
So she told it to me.
"Your password is the same as your login?" I asked.
"Yeah." She seemed surprised that I was surprised. "I think just about everybody's is."
So far I've confirmed that for the two other employees I've checked. This is the system, remember, where allowing official access to a contractor of three years' duration would be an unacceptable security breach. I believe that this is what's known as straining at a security gnat and swallowing a security camel.
