F:AT blocked at work

Back at the beginning of August, my employer implemented a new internet security system. Every website is blocked until a member of IT Security checks the website for malware and potential data transfer (company secrets). Some of the sites that were already approved by the time the system went online:
That other major boardgame website
consimworld
boardgamenews
all major online boardgame stores
all major boardgame company websites
obscure aircooled VW engine builder

In fact, the only website that I frequent that was blocked: Fortress Ameritrash.

I requested F:AT be added to the approved list and here I am. I was surprised though, I had always assumed that at my tech-heavy (full of geeks) company of 50,000+ that there would be at least one other F:ATer. It just goes to show how small this hobby is, but it also seems to show that the bulk of boardgamers are Eurogamers. Or maybe it's just the IT people.

That might be the most austere web blocking policy I've ever heard of before.


Anyway, welcome back.



F:AT--killing working hours since 2007.

They implemented Websense at work a couple years ago. It doesn't block many of my haunts (although it was blocking here last week), I guess "games" in the title is enough of a trigger. But I bet if I wanted to go look at pictures of donkeys and men named Joe, no problem.

Whitelisting is the only way to effectively block web traffic. Here's a trick the eight graders used to use to dodge blacklisters:

1) nslookup the website you want, get the octets.
2) convert each octet to binary (8-bit)
3) concatenate them
4) turn THAT 32-bit binary number back to denary
5) resolve that

jeb wrote:

Here's a trick the eight graders used to use to dodge blacklisters:

True, but getting caught doing that means instant pink slip. And they do randomly snoop. I can see why they did it, and they explicitly said that recreation sites would be allowed. It just took time. Now I have to go back and catch up.

Yeah, I wasn't recommending people -do- this--I was just demonstrating that whitelisting is the only chance an entity has at actually blocking access. Blacklisting (e.g. NetNanny) will not stop a determined 8th grader.

jeb wrote:

Whitelisting is the only way to effectively block web traffic. Here's a trick the eight graders used to use to dodge blacklisters:

1) nslookup the website you want, get the octets.
2) convert each octet to binary (8-bit)
3) concatenate them
4) turn THAT 32-bit binary number back to denary
5) resolve that

The 21st century equivalent of a witches brew. Isn't there supposed to be eye of newt?

MrZir wrote:

jeb wrote:

Here's a trick the eight graders used to use to dodge blacklisters:

True, but getting caught doing that means instant pink slip. And they do randomly snoop. I can see why they did it, and they explicitly said that recreation sites would be allowed. It just took time. Now I have to go back and catch up.

Yea, similar issues at my office. I actually had to "have a chat" with my boss at the behest of the security guys because I got caught using a webproxy. They were apparently all up in arms and there was much bluster about it being a "firing offense"...until I pointed out that the proxy I was using was our corporate one sitting out on the DMZ. The dumb fuckers "forgot" to turn the thing off for 2 full years after implementing one of the more draconian versions of Websense. In reality, they left it up so they could access their fantasy football league and were working under the assumption that no one outside their staff knew it existed . Now, the proxy server is gone but every friday afternoon at 2pm websense quite :mysteriously: allows access to fantasy.sportsline.com for about 2 hours.

Fortunately, F:AT didn't get websensed immediately.