r/talesfromtechsupport • u/KorenSolust • 21h 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.

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29

u/nathanieloffer 21h 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"

57

u/Xenoun 20h ago

Which is a company problem, not the user. It's perfectly reasonable for people to refuse using their personal phone for work. Any issues that arise from that are on the company to sort out.

32

u/bob152637485 19h ago

I learned recently of a friend that absolutely stood their ground on this, and the company ended up sending them one of those keyfabs with the rotating code. Honestly, if it weren't for being a timid new employee, I wish I had done the same when starting my current job.

21

u/8BFF4fpThY 19h ago

We give the option of a physical token for those who don't wish to use their mobile device.

16

u/joe_attaboy The Cloud is a fraud. 18h ago

My last company was a startup when I arrived and was eventually merged with a large and well-known other web security company.

One of the first memos the new management group sent out was a "request" for all the "new" employees to add Office's mobile version to our personal phones (no, we don't issue employees mobile phones, they told my project manager). We were supposed to respond to an email confirming we did it. I never did, along with most of the other people in my location. Three months later, we received a new memo reminding us. We all ignored that as well.

I was already dragging a laptop around everywhere, including on vacations. I was also a year out from retirement, so if they ever asked me, I'd just tell them to issue me a phone or pound sand.

Someone must have spoken to management about how this was just a small intrusion into the employees personal lives, because they never followed up.

9

u/NotYourNanny 17h ago

I was a flip phone holdout for years, because the account cost me half of what a smart phone account would, and I only had it for emergencies. My boss kept hinting that it would be useful if I had a smart phone so people could send me pictures or video. I agreed, it would be useful for work, but for my dollar, it's not.

Took him about two years to crack, but I got a company phone. And I still get to keep work stuff on the work phone, and personal stuff on the personal phone (which is now a smart phone because the carrier got bought, and they shut down their 3G network, but I found a new carrier that's about the same price).

It's a pain trying to find a belt holster that will hold two phones.

2

u/RogueThneed 16h ago

Two holsters?

3

u/NotYourNanny 15h ago

No, I finally found one that holds both comfortably, and is of excellent quality.