We're thinking of using PortableApps in a different way. We offer group training courses over IP telephony (for example, Skype), but a lot of companies do not allow external software to be loaded on their PCs which means we often have to use MS Messenger, which frankly, isn't very good. However, as PortableApps do not save any files to the hard disk of the PC or leave any registers, apparently we can give a USB pen-drive to our clients and they can use Skype without compromising the security of their corporate network. Question: Is this a reasonable theory or just wishful thinking?
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It will depend on the policy of the company, both technical and moral. If they prevent software from running on external devices, which is sometimes but not often done, then there is nothing you can do (generally not strictly true, but you can consider it so). If they have a policy which says you are not allowed to run executables from external devices, then while it will probably work, you shouldn't do it and we can't support you in it. It's quite probable that it's just a restriction on the user accounts, though, just meaning that you can't install software which requires administrative privileges to install (and most installers do). If that is your situation, then great! you can use portable versions and they should work just fine. However, concerning the security aspect of it, the portable version will have just the same security flaws as the normally installed desktop version; it will also be subject to just the same firewall filters (which can very occasionally break things but should increase security). If an IT department want to stop you doing it, they will be able to. But it's always worth a try. I've found IT staff quite happy with them normally in a school and University environment but I don't really know what it's like with large companies.
I am a Christian and a developer and moderator here.
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” – Proverbs 15:1
Thanks Chris, that was very helpful.
Andrew Simpson
I have got a new job – which is excellent, because I had no job in the first place, and at my age it is not easy to find a new job. I like my new job very much exept for one (or is that two?) things: I am not allowed to install any software to my job computer, and I am not allowed to run anything from my external device. Boo Hoo!
gruftie, found new job, it is fine, but also not allowed to run any software other then provided, not allowed to connect any kind of devices to the provided IT infrastructure
Otto Sykora
Basel, Switzerland
I'll tell you a recent experience of mine. I brought some documents on my flash drive into a company with which I had a contract. The person at the desk thought it would be a good idea to virus scan my drive before copying the files. I said that it would take a very long time, but in that person's experience it only took a couple of minutes. My drive has a ton of personal information, including a bunch of known false positives. After three "viruses" showed up, I had to resort to email.
I wrote down a password for them and went home to create an encrypted zip file, uploaded that to a one-click host, and sent them the link. They said that that file got quarantined and were unable to open it. Their IT person said that I was trying to give them infected documents. Of course, since they did not try the password, there was no way for the virus scanner to see what was in the zip file.
I lost my credibility at that place, and they have to copy a lot more paper copies from me. The thing that bothers me is that the IT person would say that I was trying to infect them even without looking at what I was sending. The fact that I gave them a password to open the files, which, if you can believe it, has never been done by any of their contractors in the history of their company, made me look even more suspicious (after the false positives on my stick, no less).
I feel bad for you
But at least you still have your job
It's wishful thinking.
You've completely missed the point of why companies don't want people running arbitary software on their systems.
As an "IT Guy" I can tell you that left to their own devices people can and often will do everything in their power (usually unwittingly) to utterly destroy their laptops/desktops with all the latest spyware the Interwebs has to offer.
I'm sure the IT Guy would be the hero if your computer got infected and potentially critical project documents were recovered, thus saving your @$$ from being fired.
The bottom line is that people either directly or indirectly can't be trusted. Sad but true, and that is why IT is frequently locking down computers. Companies as a whole can't afford for people to lose work, or computers not to be functioning. It wastes time and money.
I couldn't tell because the indent level wasn't after my post, but my post mentioned the "It Guy."
The point was he lied. They asked him about it, and he said that he found infected documents. Little did he know that I had password protected those documents with a password he didn't know. He didn't look at them, or even attempt to.
I've known plenty of IT people that lie to get ahead. They tell the bosses of other, non technical departments about new worms that don't exist just to scare them into not laying them off. I knew one that did a service call, hung around for a couple of hours "unable to fix it", went into the network control room by himself, and the network sprang to life almost immediately, and then blamed some random person for the downtime. Another guy claimed to know network forensics, found pornography, and then blamed some individual without really knowing where it came from. They all do it to look like experts when they aren't.
http://bofh.ntk.net/Bastard_Indexes.html
http://www.theregister.co.uk/odds/bofh/
Vintage!
It was just in general to whomever.
So I guess we're to take from this thread that all IT Guy's are self-serving liars, who don't give a cr@p about the "little people". Whereas nobody who is "non-technical" person is ever like that. Awesome!
I'm off to see if I can get a promotion by saving my organization from certain death by removing a non-existent Worm from the network, whilst simultaneously getting 3 employees that I don't like fired by finding pr0n on their computers that wasn't there half an hour ago.
Have a good one!
That's one of the most trollish things i've ever read. It doesn't matter what department of what company it is, there are dirtbags everywhere. Just because one IT guy was an @$$, doesn't mean they all are.
These things make me smile.
Nerdy Redneck
stay on topic everyone or I will lock this thread.