Hello everyone.
This week we have a very interesting guest. My guest is very shy and does not want her real name used so we will call her Jane Doe.
Life is full of surprises. Jane and I worked together many years ago in one of my first IT jobs and recently on a trip I accidently bumped into her while cycling. An honestly unbelievable story but.. things happen and after the pandemic nothing surprises me anymore.
Over a short coffee we conversed and caught up with what we had both been doing for the last 20 or so years 😁 and I last week I emailed her about doing a short interview.
Jane still works in IT, albeit in a more senior role.
Geoff: So do you still work in IT?
JD: Yes, however I am now free of the helpdesk stress.
Geoff: Yes I remember that well. I think no one really has worked in IT until they have been on the ground doing helpdesk work. If I may ask how did your career grow after that experience?
JD: Well, helpdesk work does stimulate one to try desperately to get out of that role so I was lucky and after continuing my education was able to move on to designing systems.
Geoff: You said that you worked quite a bit with BSD systems and FreeBSD Jails and I was wondering if you have had any exposure to containers and Kubernetes.
JD: Yes and yes.
Geoff: What about windows? I think the last systems we worked on together were Windows NT?
JD: I have worked on windows, but more from a design perspective. Before you ask.. yes I have worked with Veeam, among other backup products.
Geoff: Ah you stole my thunder, wait how did you know that I worked with Veeam 😀? Oh of course I was wearing Veeam swag when we bumped into one another. I have never been good at undercover work 😂. So what do you think of Veeam?
JD: Very easy to use. I must admit that I have not had to use it in my current role and the last version I worked on was Veeam 9.5. While I liked the fact that it was very easy and intuitive to use at the same time that could pose a danger as backup administrators could be tempted not to bother learning, since it was very easy to setup. The one thing that I have learned in my career is that no matter how simple something might seem, you still need to read the manual!
Geoff: When it comes to IT security and threats what have you seen in these last years?
JD: Well if you remember those silly floppy drive locks?
Geoff: How can I forget, the ones that could be easily opened with a paper clip?
JD: Yes precisely, I often think of IT security in a similar manner, we insert a flimsy lock with a key into a floppy drive and feel secure, when in reality as you mentioned anyone with a paper clip or simply by bending the plastic can open it up.
Geoff: Is it a futile effort?
JD: Not at all but it is important that we keep a proper perspective and NEVER feel comfy with our security.
Geoff: In that respect what is your greatest fear when it comes to the future of IT.
JD: Ourselves! We are our own worst enemies most of the time. In short, trust no one completely, especially yourself! Counter argue all your actions and thoughts to make certain that you are not making mistakes or being led down the wrong road.
Geoff: That sounds a lot like Zero Trust!
JD: Exactly
Ok folks thanks for tuning in. Next week we have a super special guest. His name is no secret to anyone in the Veeam world… Luca!!!
