Re: Physical Location Security of IT Staff

[Joel Rosenblatt <joel () COLUMBIA EDU>]

An issue that comes to mind is are they considering a cubicle farm or closed offices?  As a computer security officer, 
I have many telephone calls with various
law enforcement types that really cannot be made in an open environment.  We also deal with student violations of DMCA 
and it would a violation of privacy if
their identity were released.

My shop is currently in a carded area, but there is noise about moving us - thanks to all for some good ammunition for 
the setup of our new place :-)

Joel Rosenblatt

--On Wednesday, February 08, 2006 1:56 PM -0500 Gary Flynn <flynngn () jmu edu> wrote:

> Donald J Westlight wrote:
>
> > > > > smithd6 () OHIODOMINICAN EDU 02/08/06 5:59 AM >>>
> > >
> > > I am looking for information to support my position that our IT staff need to be physically located in a secured space 
> > > (ie. no public access to area).
> >
> >
> >
> > Hello Dena,
>
> > The main reasons to object to sharing physical (unsecured) space are:
> > * ensuring confidentiality of personal information
> > * costs of stolen equipment, materials, and related productivity losses
> > * in an insecure space, physical security requirements (desks and workbenches) prevent actual work from occurring
> > * noise (groups with different workflow often irritate eachother in close quarters: that "noise" is actually work 
> > occuring)
>
> To add a few more issues:
>
> 1) Faculty will probably require that students have access to come
>     and go.
>
> 2) If students are allowed access, what are the chances the general
>     public can gain access?
>
> 3) What type of elevated privilege accounts, network jacks, IP
>     addresses, and/or wireless access points are available in the
>     IT area? What type of confidential or sensitive data may
>     be available on desks, conference rooms, or training rooms?
>
> 4) Will a infected laptop infect, affect, or be able to view
>     IT subnets and their associated elevated access?
>
>
> > Here at ohsu.edu all of our IT staff are behind cardlock and it simplifies a great deal.
>
> We are too.
>
>
> --
> Gary Flynn
> Security Engineer
> James Madison University
> www.jmu.edu/computing/security



Joel Rosenblatt, Senior Security Officer & Windows Specialist, CUIT
Columbia University, 612 W 115th Street, NY, NY 10025 / 212 854 3033
http://www.columbia.edu/~joel - You can't spell seCUrITy without CUIT