Re:

["Geoffrey S. Nathan" <geoffnathan () WAYNE EDU>]

Chad McDonald wrote:
> Someone in this thread mentioned that you can't please everyone, which
> is certainly true.  If you have an otherwise good relationship with this
> person, perhaps you could attempt to persuade him to tell you why this
> won't work and how exactly it adversely impacts research and teaching.
> Whole disk encryption is in my opinion transparent and I doubt that this
> person will be able to build a good case for why it won't work.  If the
> policy has already been approved, then this is really a case of building
> trust between your office and the faculty.  It doesn't seem that this
> person is able to see past the technology to the bigger picture of
> risk.  I would consider a one on one discussion to bring this person up
> to speed on what it is you really do and the reason that you do it.
>
> In the past I have asked my vocal adversaries to become "faculty
> liaisons".  They act as a sounding board for new ideas, they help write/
> recommend policy, and they test new procedures.  I think that bringing
> them into your world in this way makes them feel empowered and
> involved.  You won't always see eye to eye, but more often than not they
> will turn out to be supporters after they see what it is you are really
> trying to do (manage risk).
>
> My 2 cents...
I would agree wholeheartedly with Chad.  I began my career in IT as a
complaining faculty member much like the one being discussed (although I
was complaining about the lack of POPMail in the mid nineties at another
institution), and gradually became involved with more and more of the
long-range, and now even operational issues.  I certainly agree that a
one-on-one, perhaps with you bringing your laptop around and showing the
recalcitrant professor that whole-disk encryption does not 'lock up'
your data from the user--only from the bad guys.
If he's really worried about losing access to the data tell him to make
escrow copies of the key and stash them all around his house (just
putting a passphrase on a piece of paper and leaving it in his top
dresser drawer and the kitchen drawer where everything else goes (we all
have one of those) should calm him and doesn't constitute a serious
risk).  Or offer to back his laptop up completely, encrypt the machine,
let him play with it for a day or two, then see what he thinks.  I agree
that quieting one squeaking wheel with kindness and facts is likely to
turn him into an actual advocate.  It happened to me....:-)

Geoff




--
Geoffrey S. Nathan Faculty Liaison, Computing and Information Technology,

and Associate Professor of English, Linguistics Program

Phone Numbers (313) 577-1259 or (313) 577-8621

Wayne State University

Detroit, MI, 48202