This happens all the time

[Daskinor]

HR can be a bit of a pain about the data on their computer systems. I understand that the need to keep the data confidential for ethical and legal issues. But legally if I need to see the data to fix the problem with it, I can.

So basicly the conversation looks like this.

HR: "System A is putting out this info that does not agree with system B."
ME: "From what you can see, is system A or B wrong."
HR: "System A"
ME: "Ok can you provide the data from B and A that are causing you trouble so I can hunt down what's wrong"
HR: "I can't its payroll data"
ME: "I understand, but unless I can see what is going wrong I can not fix it"
HR: "I can't its payroll data"
ME: Gives real world example of why I would need to know what I am looking for to fix the problem.
HR: "I can't its payroll data"
ME: "You know I could easily look at every piece of data on the servers because I have admin access to fix and upgrade them"
HR: "You should not have access to that its payroll data"
ME: HEADDESK

[Kittish]

ME: I'm sorry, then, since you are unable to provide me with adequate information to find and correct the issue, you're on your own. I can provide documentation on the software you're running so you can try to track down and correct your issue. Hope that helps, and have a wonderful day.

[Crossbow]

Not surprised. I used to work in payroll, and multiple people had that attitude. If you needed access to fix the issue, I had no problem. My boss, on the other hand...

Meant that I ended up fixing the payroll computers more often than not.

[Gerrinson]

I worked for a place doing accounts receivable/accounts payable. One of my weekly tasks was to cut the pay checks, too.

The director of the company specified that I was not allowed access to payroll data, nor should I see anyone's pay information, or pay checks. Even though I was required to cut the checks.

My supervisor there just told me to play along like that was the case and to just do what needed doing to get the checks done, because the director didn't really understand how the day-to-day stuff worked. Gee, ya think?

[EvilEmpryss]

Oh lord, I work with HIPAA information, the stuff that will get you sued not by an angry worker, but by the Federal Government if you release the information to the wrong people. But that's what nondisclosure and business associate agreements are for. You can't expect your tech support to work in a vacuum.

[otakuneko]

Oh yeah, this happens to me sometimes. We have customers who refuse to provide logs because they may contain sensitive information (or definitely do, depending on what they consider sensitive). This makes it kinda hard to troubleshoot for them. Sometimes a bit of explaining and cajoling will pry them loose, but other times..

I'm working with one now and we are limited to troubleshooting live over webex, during which we're told not to take screenshots (as if they could prevent us from doing so, meh). I'm wondering how this will work out for them when they have a device crash and we need logs (for the stack trace) plus the core dump (for crash root cause analysis) just to even begin. I'm betting somebody's not gonna be happy.

HIPAA customers, while a pain in the ass due to the separate semi-isolated environment my company has set up for them to upload logs to, generally do in fact upload those logs. The real trouble with them comes if I need to ask for an export of their management server. Argh.

[EricKei]

Did QuickBooks installs and support back at AccountingFirm -- Most HIPAA-compliant places had us sign NDAs before they'd let us within ten yards of the place. Wise policy We had no problem doing so, even though we almost never saw any actual patient records anyway; I requested dummy forms, generally speaking, when it had to do with how to translate certain data into "How QBs wants it coded."

[wolfie]

Then you get the "Confidential? What do you mean by that?" types. Back when 512 Megabytes was a BIG hard drive, I had a QIC-80 tape drive for backups. I bought a pack of 2 tapes at "Paperclips", and returned them as soon as I got the package open. They were USED - looks like someone took the cheap route to get fresh tapes, bought a pack, took out the new tapes, put in their old ones, and returned it. From the labels, they were backups from a medical office computer.

[protege]

But that's what nondisclosure and business associate agreements are for. You can't expect your tech support to work in a vacuum.

Been there, done that...got the crappy T-shirt.

I work for a brokerage firm, and one of the problems I get to deal with, is our wonderful server occasionally deciding not to work. Most of the time, I can get it running again simply by stopping and restarting services. Not so with the payroll/accounting departments. When something doesn't work on their computers, trying to get the info I need is like pulling teeth. I can understand the confidentiality issues. I get that you don't want to release "sensitive" information. But, if you don't even provide me with the login information--let alone the keys to the fucking office--how do you expect me to fix it?

Do they really think I'm going to snoop around on those computers? I might be crazy, but I'm not stupid. Give me access so I can do my damn job!

[Jay 2K Winger]

Yeah, we run into this occasionally at The Client. Being that it's a government contract that requires a polygraph and security clearance, it's understandable.

The closest I've run into this sort of thing is when I asked a user if I could remote into their system to troubleshoot an issue and they said "No, because I've got sensitive information on my screen." They weren't willing to minimize or close it, so I said OK and did my best to walk them through the troubleshooting steps.

Indeed, there are some databases and servers that are very much locked down, so only particular groups of support techs can perform any maintenance/troubleshooting on them. If we at ITSD get a call about them, and those support teams have already gone home for the day, we let the service managers know so they can page them.

[EvilEmpryss]

Personal sighting just yesterday in this vein:

Guy was getting a new phone at the Big Checkmark, and he wanted the guys there to do the transfer of his data from old to new phone, but he didn't want to wait there while it was done.

Rep: No problem. Just give me your passcode and I'll have everything done by the time you get back.

Cue catbutt face.

SC: Immediately proclaims that he's an IT professional, and he has VERY sensitive information on the phone (loud enough that I can hear it at the other end of the counter). He wants to know why the guy needs his passcode.

Rep: To transfer the contacts and data to the new phone, as requested.

SC: Yeah, but why do you need the passcode for that?

Rep: Because the phone is locked and the data password protected. I need to be able to unlock it and transfer the data that you want transferred.

SC: How do I know what you'll do with the information?

Rep: Huh?

SC: When was the last time you had a (some abbreviation I think started with a P that I assume was a security review)?

Rep: We don't get those individually, but I assume the company has been reviewed recently. If you don't want me to transfer the data....

SC: I bet it hasn't even been done ever. I want you to do it. I just don't think you need my passcode to do it.

Rep: Well, I don't, not if you're here to enter the code when it's needed.

SC: I don't have time to sit here while you do that. Just do it while I'm gone. You don't need the passcode for that. I know. I'm in IT security.

Lather, rinse, repeat for a good six or seven minutes more before the self-important SC just took the phones and left. I couldn't help thinking of this thread while listening to that idiot.

[Jay 2K Winger]

SC: I don't have time to sit here while you do that. Just do it while I'm gone. You don't need the passcode for that. I know. I'm in IT security.

Lather, rinse, repeat for a good six or seven minutes more before the self-important SC just took the phones and left. I couldn't help thinking of this thread while listening to that idiot.

Sucktomer was being an ass, but he's not necessarily wrong. There may be some way to transfer that data without his passcode, but it's not necessarily done at a store level by a front-line retail drone.

[EvilEmpryss]

I think the suck was mostly in Self-Important SC assuming that the front-line retail drone gave a flying f**k what was on his phone. And he was doing it in the most condescending tone possible. I'm sure the retail guy just wanted to get the stuff transferred over and move on to the next customer, because the place was packed that day. I literally spent three hours in there getting the company phone upgraded.

If SISC wanted to make absolutely certain that no one got his pwesious information, then he should have taken it home and used his omnipotent IT powers to do the transfer himself. I think he was seriously having to decide if his time or his data was more important.

A-hole.

[Jay 2K Winger]

Self-Important SC

I believe Argabarga dubbed these kinds of people Self Important Mighty Business Assholes-- or SIMBAs for short.

[EricKei]

If I had been in that line.... I would have asked for the guy's card. If he was actually telling the truth about his profession, I would then call his company and ask for his boss. I'd think the boss would want to know that one of his employees was profoundly stupid enough to keep extremely sensitive company information on a device as insecure and easily-accessible as a cellphone.