Corridor 9

Well all….. I almost got suspended from work.

For those of you who don’t know, I do most of the internet routing for the firefighters on shift. I make sure the router is working, the network is properly configured and locked down so that no one on the outside can hack their way in. I try to keep it as locked down as possible and allow a certain number of knowledgeable individuals access to the password in case something doesn’t work.

It all started when one of the Shift Commanders walked in to the training room talking about how he couldn’t get his laptop to work correctly on the internet. He knew the system was locked down, and he also knew all he had to do was ask and I’d have given him the password. Instead he chose to blow things out of proportion, and start an argument with me about how everyone in here pays for the internet access and “everyone needs to have the password”. This is completely incorrect. Yes…. everyone here pays for the internet connection that is supplied by Charter Communications. The funding is taken out of the profit from our soda machine.

However, everyone here doesn’t need the router password. First of all, the wireless router in question belongs to A shift. It was purchased by fire fighters on that shift for our own personal use. When we first bought the wireless router we took up a collection to get cable service running, but the hardware was still paid for by A shift personnel.

I tried giving out the password last year and spent more than a few of my days off here fixing problems created by people who didn’t know what they were doing. When I ended up changing the password, I had just performed a network scan for possible holes in the system when I found multiple security problems because someone who didn’t know what they were doing logged into the router and changed a bunch of port settings. Those of you who know I’m a security buff know that I don’t want my laptop on a network that is this insecure.

In addition, the Shift Commander started becomming irate telling me he would change what he wanted, when he saw fit. At this point I tried to remain calm and collected while getting increasingly pissed off inside. I had no reason not to give him the password, other than the fact that I think its just another person to screw up the router. I didn’t even mind him having the password as I thought he was knowledgeable enough to figure out what needed to be changed and what didn’t. What upset me the most was his yelling at me , and telling me he had given me a “direct order”. He can not give me a direct order on what I should do with my laptop, so why does he think he has the right to give me a direct order telling me what to do with equipment that I bought.

He threatened to send me home, threatened to suspend me, and even threatened to rip the networking out of the station. The simple fact of the matter was I was more than willing to get sent home and suspended. I felt I was in the right, and still do. However, because of the number of people who use the network up here, I let him “win” so to speak. It wasn’t a matter of a password, it was his attitude, demeanor, and inappropriate orders which got me upset.

We’ll see if this is over… He’s supposed to be talking to the assistant chief. I hope so, as me and the assistant chief feel the same way about security problems.