Re: Securing workstations from IT guys

[krymson () gmail com]

1) Figure out the commonality between the information that is being leaked and to whom it is being leaked. Is it the 
same person who happens to have access to your mail server and they're all email-borne files? Is it open c$ shares (or 
other shares!?) from the HR PCs? I've found that while we can dream up fanciful scenarios about IT workers hacking 
applications, typically (much like law enforcement), I find the simplest answers really are the correct answers. And in 
IT and data access, I've typically found that users don't look to break into and steal things, they just happen to find 
open shares or unsecured stuff sitting around (crimes of opportunity, not premeditation). Mistakes and human errors...

2) Once you find out how or by whom these files are being leaked, you can target your efforts to plug that hole. It 
would suck to implement 5 different security measures, and none of them stop the problem.

3) When the cooling in your data center breaks and you let your AC repairman into the data center, do you watch him 
like a hawk to make sure he doesn't start stealing software or yanking out cables from the racks? Most likely not, and 
you rely on video cameras to log any activity which is never looked at unless a problem occurs. Likewise, you 
eventually need to trust your IT workers, otherwise, as another posted noted, you have personnel issues (and nicely 
enough, if you do, at least HR is feeling the resultant pain and can get on your side!). Likewise, audit accesses, 
logins, and admin account usage...much like keeping that security camera on the servers even though you likely won't 
ever check it out unless you have reason to.



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It's a catch 22 situation and I need to make our Windows Xp workstations 
appropriately secure. Secure from rogue Helpdesk personnel as well as 
network admins.
The HR guys are complaining that their 'offer' letters to prospective 
employees and some of the CVs that they recieve are finding their way into 
unwanted hands. I suspect both HR application vulnerability, for which I am 
undertaking some vulnerability analysis but I also need to protect the PCs 
that belong to Dept. of HR employees from rogue IT guys.

Here are the basics of what I intend to do:
1. Advise all HR users to shutdown their PC before they leave for the day.
2. Change all Local Admin passwords so that even IT helpdesk/other doesn't 
know them.
3. Advise HR guys to assign passwords to their excel/word files.
3. Do not create shares off c drive giving 'everyone' access.

But...because they are all connected to Windows 2003 domain, I still risk 
someone from domain admin group to be able to start C$/D$ share and browse 
into their c: drive, what should I do?

Also, it's easy to crack open xls/doc passwords, what else can be done?

Alternatively, Is there an auditing on PC that can be enabled to track/log 
incoming connections to C$ and pop up and alert whenever someone tries it 
out from a remote machine.

Pls advise!!