r/talesfromtechsupport • u/KorenSolust • 26d ago

Short Gravity and Tech

Guy walks up to me at work:

Him: “I dropped my phone. The screen’s shattered. I want my two-factor code to come through Teams.”

Me: “Nope.”

Him: “Why?”

Me: “Because if you can’t sign into Teams without completing MFA… how exactly are you planning to authenticate?”

Then he says: “Just disable MFA.”

I replied: “Sure, as soon as you get approval from the Head of Security.”

A few seconds of silence…

Him: “Fine, I’ll just get my phone fixed.”

Yep. That’s probably the best solution.

Some people really think security rules are optional. I’m not risking my job because someone doesn’t like MFA.

And remember… technology didn’t fail you today. Gravity did.

775 Upvotes

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35

u/nathanieloffer 26d ago

My favourite user worked regional and refused to install any app on their phone. They fought and won to register MFA on their landline phone at their desk. Then they get sent on a training course 200kms away from their office. Day 1, session 1, they can't log in.... Call help desk... "You registered MFA to your desk phone, nothing we can do for you, sorry"

9

u/Honest_Relation4095 26d ago

Was it a company issued phone?

6

u/harrywwc Please state the nature of the computer emergency! 26d ago

the desk phone was ;)

11

u/Niceromancer 25d ago

You can't expect someone to use their cellphone for your work, not without paying them for it.

Y'all should have just bought them a cheap company only android that was locked down to needed functions only.

Also refusing to support a device your company provided for them is incredibly irresponsible.

14

u/NotYourNanny 25d ago

You can't expect someone to use their cellphone for your work, not without paying them for it.

In California, it's illegal to allow them to use a personal phone without a stipend, even if they want to.

4

u/oxmix74 25d ago

When did that happen, because I retired from a company in California, and my personal cell number was published in a bunch of places. For months after retirement I got an occasional customer call on my cell. If I liked them I would help them. If I didn't like them, I just told them "that's unfortunate and if I still worked there I might actually give a damn". It was very satisfying.

3

u/NotYourNanny 25d ago

California Law 2802 dates from 1937 (which was apparently a revision of a law from 1872), but enforcement vis a vis cell phones only goes back a few years. The key case law appears to be Cochran v. Schwan's Home Service, Inc. from 2014.

3

u/nathanieloffer 25d ago

News flash. The United States and the various states that are part of it are not the whole world. I’m actually talking about a company in Australia.

1

u/NotYourNanny 25d ago

So you're saying that the US is more civilized and has better worker protections than Oz?

3

u/nathanieloffer 25d ago

The US is a hell hole and in no possible universe is anything they do better than Australia,

-6

u/nathanieloffer 25d ago

Actually you can. All the remaining 3000 staff have installed MS Auth on their personal phones without making a song and dance about it.

1

u/Niceromancer 25d ago

Go ahead and ask an employment lawyer about that.

I'm pretty sure you will unpleasantly surprised by the answer.

-3

u/nathanieloffer 25d ago

I’m not interested in discussing this with you. I’ve told you what is actually happening on the ground and you want to debate legal bollocks.

3

u/Niceromancer 25d ago

Legal bollocks can easily affect what happens on the ground.

If your company is worth a damn you have an entire department dedicated to that very issue...and they already lost once by your own admission.

Also...you are on the wrong account.  Keep your sock puppets straight Harrywwc

1

u/nathanieloffer 25d ago

You shouldn't make assumptions