Feds told me to start moving data out of state

reply to post by jhill76



Well, then, I'd say your level [ data ] , has a new security level that it needs to comply with.

Make of it what you will. I'd be most careful about alarming folks, that could get very dicey.

But most likely, anything other than transferring to what you may perceive as a safer area,

won't make you feel any better, than you do right now.


best wishes...

Originally posted by MystikMushroom
reply to post by applebiter

 

DUDE! applebiter PEEP your U2Us dude!

I totally agree though...NO ONE government is to blame.

Watch (as previously stated) the "brass"...

You might also want to give Springer or the staff here some "private" info about yourself JUST IN CASE you find something out -- and are deemed "a fisherman" or a "troll" or whatever. Just make sure the lead ppl behind the site can trust you.

It'll ease and cause much less crap if the staff can intervene and vouch for you. If you trust posting what you've already posted -- why privately give the owner of the site a little "personal info" so he can verify and vouch for at LEAST your identity.

Huh? Have I posted something hairy? I'll give standard info, but what's all the guff about?


EDIT: Oh - that scary bit was for the OP. Whew! Frankly, if I were a fedgov employee I wouldn't be revealing logistics. It's one thing for a runt like me to speculate from a distance, but to divulge internal memos and whatnot is a big nono.

[edit on 12-7-2008 by applebiter]

reply to post by applebiter


NO NO NO!

I mean you check your U2U....I sent you one!

ON TOPIC: All of those "sleeper" people that work for federal, state, or local governments that are a part of this board need to start taking "notes" for the rest of us. Start noticing "wierd stuff" ...

Let us all be privy when abnormal things are put into place.

Perhaps you work at the DMV for your state, but you see "strange" or "bizare" changes. . . it is people like this that can give us all an "early warning" ....

Anyway applebitter, my U2U was about your "disclosure" thread -- my bad for making it sound like it was ABOUT your post.

Originally posted by jhill76

While at work today, I was called into an office by my immediate supervisor and told that my duties were to change because of a new directive brought on by the higher ups. I am to start transferring data to an off-site storage facility located in another state and make sure everything is backed up on all of the servers that I have control over.

Im surprised you are not already doing this as it is considered a key basic DRP or BCP.

Now mind you, we have been storing data locally for as long as I know and from what I have been told from other co-workers. Why this sudden change to start backing up data and moving data to a whole other state?

Bad bad bad. If you were a sys admin or IT guy at our office, this would have been my first order. Also you are federal, so what's the matter which state. Out of state is always better. Storing data locally is bad, if you have a fire, or your region has a weather disaster, what are you going to do?
Atlanta is next door to hurricane alley, and I think there is one brewing right now.

Then GET YOUR ASS OUTTA ATLANTA MAN. If its the first time that you are moving stuff out of that state, they want to preserve it.

They are preparing that state for a nuke attack or biological attack. And when i say 'They' i mean your own government.

I have a friend who used to be a PA for three very wealty 'bloodline' people, and she overheard a conversation between two of these people that said the same thing, "we neeed to UP it from 911 and we need to make them # themselves" were a few of the phrases. Then they will blame it on Iran and blow Iran to #.

Thats the plan.

I just hope them Aliens that i've been reading about can deactivate the nukes in time, for they want to help us. All we gotta do is believe.

reply to post by jhill76

While at work today, I was called into an office by my immediate supervisor and told that my duties were to change because of a new directive brought on by the higher ups. I am to start transferring data to an off-site storage facility located in another state and make sure everything is backed up on all of the servers that I have control over.

Now mind you, we have been storing data locally for as long as I know and from what I have been told from other co-workers. Why this sudden change to start backing up data and moving data to a whole other state?

I am in Atlanta, GA. It's crazy because I hear of the stories about the FEMA coffins and bird flu, and all of that other good stuff. Has anyone heard of anything like this at your workplace. I am wondering what is in the works?

Sounds like maybe you and your facility were not compliant with regards to how you were handling your data. It needs to be in another state so the same disaster doesn't effect both locations (where you are and where your data is backed up). It also needs to backed up to two off-site locations (one that mirrors the other).

Atlanta is in hurricane alley isn't it? And in another post you said something about encryption. Of course it has to be encrypted. When data is stored off-site via the internet, if it isn't encrypted it could be accessed by anyone. The government standard is 256 AES encryption.

If this is all new to you, I find this whole thread questionable.

I just don't agree with it's SOP because this is not done at our other locations in other cities, just ours.

This is total BS. This is done at EVERY government facility in the country.

[edit on 12-7-2008 by Excitable_Boy]

reply to post by Excitable_Boy


No, I am saying this new policy is not being implemented in our sister facilities. I know all facilities don't store data locally.

You would be surprised at some of the governments IT departments. Just because it is policy doesn't mean it is followed. Just like unauthorized users can access SIPRNET. So saying this is total BS because you heard of this policy doesn't hold weight at all.

Also, it isn't over the internet, you should know that, it's a direct link.

[edit on 12-7-2008 by jhill76]

Originally posted by Mainer
Nothing your supervisor asked of you is considered to be out of the ordinary in a private business.

1. Always have your servers backed up &
2. As far away from them as possible

Sounds about right to me.

Exactly right. I spent 20 years as a Storage Manager for several large corporations and my main responsibility was disaster recovery. We backed up several times a week and sent them off site immediately. Some of our clients mirrored to other sites that were geographically hundreds of miles away. This has been standard for private business for a long time but I don't think the government follows the same standards. I used to provide support for DR tests at a large hot site and most of the government accounts were pathetic in their standards, execution and general readiness not to mention the arrogance of some of their personnel. Of course that's just my opinion.

This sounds like part of the Continuity of Government Operations and Interoperability directives being driven by Homeland Security.

Some of it is a good idea, most of it is a waste of taxpayer dollars for a more bloated government. When in doubt, throw money at it; should be Homeland Security's motto.

I remember reading a wile back about how Atlanta was facing a water shortage. Could a water shortage lead to the evacuation of all of Atlanta? Also, I recall the Center for Disease Control is located in Atlanta. I suspect they store diseases there, and it could be the site of an outbreak.

reply to post by jhill76

Also, it isn't over the internet, you should know that, it's a direct link.

It's amazing how knowledgable you got all of a sudden. It's AMAZING that you think having your data off-site in another state is some sort of sign of a conspiracy!

You would be surprised at some of the governments IT departments. Just because it is policy doesn't mean it is followed. Just like unauthorized users can access SIPRNET. So saying this is total BS because you heard of this policy doesn't hold weight at all.

It's also amazing that your "conspiracy" just became a policy. You just debunked your own thread. Like I said, this thread is a joke.

I'm also more than just familiar with this policy friend.

[edit on 12-7-2008 by Excitable_Boy]

reply to post by jhill76



jhill, it might be helpful if we knew the general type of data being moved. Nothing specific, just general.

I happen to work for California Franchise Tax Board. I would immediately lose my job (and face possible prosecution) if I were to reveal any specific taxpayer's Social Security Number (SSN) or a corporation's Federal Employer Identification Number(FEIN) (The IRS considers these to be as confidential as SSN's even though corporation's are required to reveal them at just about every turn. Go figure!). However, it would be perfectly fine with my employer for me to reveal, as I just have, that some of the information I deal with involves SSN's.


I understand your reluctance, but without more to go on, it wiill be difficult to judge the "strangeness" of the situation.


Also, how far away is this data being stored. Is the new location one, or several state's distant? Can you tell us the actual state, or is that, too, prohibited?

Consider that a move to an adjacent or nearby state may mean just a change in general operations; no implied expectation of increase threat.

Whereas a directive to move this data, quickly (within 15 days, I think you said) to a location across the country, where it would be more difficult to recover after an "event", Might indicate concern over an immenent and severe threat.



Just remembered a recent thread posted by a member of the Latter Day Saints (LDS) (Church of Mormon) living in, I believe Atlana, Georgia, being told in an unusal address from a Church official to have 72 hours of supplies ready and availbe for evacuation by July of this year.

Strange. I'll have to re-check that thread, I may be completely wrong, but it would be odd if true.



On a final note, don't be too afraid to ask serious questions if something strikes you as out of the ordinary. You're doing your job; part of which is making sure that the data you're responsible for is being handled correctly and securely. If your concerns are unfounded, you'll get re-assurance.

If you concerns are based in fact, you'll get the "cold shoulder".


If you get stonewalled, or reprimanded, just remember: You probably didn't have a seat on the "Last Bus Out" anyway.


Start packing!



Edit to add: My mistake. The poster was from Northern Louisianna. Claims it's mostly out of the hurricaine zone. Here's the link:


www.abovetopsecret.com...'

[edit on 12-7-2008 by Bhadhidar]

[edit on 12-7-2008 by Bhadhidar]

Perhaps this is part of the reason for data transfer.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

How have you been feeling lately?

This could be an exercise. See how long it really takes to conduct the necessary task and then analyze the process and formulate an offical protocal from the exercise.

On the other hand, it takes equipment to encrypt/decrypt data; so where ever it is going, it has to have the same like equipment to decode and make functional-and that's assuming to where ever its going is going to remain in tact.

The IRS Tax Division has hubs all over the U.S.A. and uses tons of encryption equipment to protect its information-so I can only imagine in a more sensitive area the amount of encryption used today that is meant to protect our National Security.


I would think such actions mean they want to be far enough away so the local crisis has no impact on the day to day operations of your "company."
...continuing the rule of government...so to say....

There has been talk of EMP Potential by terror organizations. It is by far the easiest way to cripple a country that depends so heavily on electronics.


The more Congress talks about such matters; the more ideas enter into the terrorist's brain matter and thinks of ways to screw up our lives.

An EMP Blast would certainly keep our most crucial defense systems exposed to possible harm; although many designs for such attacks have been implemented to safeguard our critical weapons systems- but the question is how reliable are those safeguards and will they protect them from a blast that is hundreds of times stronger compared to 40 years ago?

It is always interesting to see how this pans out.

reply to post by jhill76


Great...............I live very near Atlanta too. Oh well, if anything happens soon I know I've had a good life. I'm not paranoid.

Your Section of data was deemed " weak " from either a person or a It system or maybe just a couple events that led to this action, To just have your data be duped an moved is a venture that wouldnt be broguth about by some Willy nilly decision, Since the moving of data is in many reguards a feat with many Weak spots....

Im betting they had a idea to move data based on a event to has happened near you or is about to happen near you....

This is not happening just becuz " they think its the right thing to do "

What weird is in the fact that somebody wants an off-site backup? It is quite common.

There is nothing special in being an administrator employed by goverment either, since all that data which does not belong to you is encrypted anyway and you care about your job, so you don't read unencrypted data either.

Or do you actually read people's e-mails while administrating?

I don't give a # if you work for goverment, you are just a punk trying to get respect because of some ordinary administrator job.

You are just going on with a general type of "revelation" in which you tell nothing particular, just that you do off-site backups now, and cannot reveal anything more. And others and I shoudl actually care to beg you for info?


[edit on 12/7/08 by rawsom]

reply to post by jhill76


Having worked in the DR software industry for the past 6 yrs...and being a former COMM guy in the Military, I would say that the mandate to go to off-site is a trend in the Fed community. So nothing new there...HOWEVER, a mandate to get it done in the next two weeks is VERY uncommon. Heck, we couldn't get authorization to change the toilet paper dispenser in that amount of time. It's been a while, for me...but it would take two weeks just to organize a meeting.

If you want to test the waters on what the event horizon looks like, then go ahead and comply (best of luck to you)...and then schedule a status meeting for two weeks out (see who accepts...and who doesn't). Even more interesting, schedule an "after actions and future recommendations" meeting for 30 days out (and see who is on "vacation")...

But then again, it may be in prep for a "short-notice" or "no-notice" compliance inspection that your boss wants to be covered for...

K

Originally posted by jonke05
reply to post by jhill76

 

Having worked in the DR software industry for the past 6 yrs...and being a former COMM guy in the Military, I would say that the mandate to go to off-site is a trend in the Fed community. So nothing new there...HOWEVER, a mandate to get it done in the next two weeks is VERY uncommon. Heck, we couldn't get authorization to change the toilet paper dispenser in that amount of time. It's been a while, for me...but it would take two weeks just to organize a meeting.

K

Or maybe he is just ordered to do something without a meeting, which has already took place.

Fair enough. I was referring, however, to the actual act of off-siting data. Unless he has a sister facility located in the remote region he has been ordered to back-up to...AND that facility has some spare capacity...this little endeavor will take more than two weeks to make happen. In this BEST CASE scenario, all he could do is backup to tape and ship.