The guy who worked here used corporate machines for his own stuff

So recently I started as solo IT admin for a medium sized school (about 700 users, 400 computers, etc.).

Both admins that worked here before have been ill for months and it doesn't seem like they will be coming back soon.

One of them put their own users and passwords on two machines (one is a Mac Pro 2009 or so, one is an iMac 2015 I think) and did not document them. From looking at one of the backup drives I saw he also used those machines for his own private stuff. I can't unlock neither the machines nor get to the data that's on them. Both their disks are FileVault encrypted, both machines have been set a firmware password which is not documented. By the way, the Mac Pro still runs like OS X 10.5 or 10.6.

I can probably let my service provider reset the firmware passwords, so I could repurpose the machines. That however still wouldn't let me access his data on them. I'm not even sure what's legal at this point, I live in Switzerland.

I haven't told anybody yet I would try at least have a look at the machines because it doesn't seem I have the need to have or see what's on them. It's still shitty because I can't use the machines for something else.

Since I saw he might also have porn on one machine I'm very sure he wouldn't give me the passwords if I asked.
There's a few other reasons why it might be important to get access to the data on the machines.

Should I ask my superiors if I should order the service provider to reset the firmware passwords?
Should I try to reset it on the Mac Pro - which is by the way locked with a combination lock - by myself using the change-ram-size-to-fool-the-firmware-and-reset-the-firmware-password method? Which might allow me to get into single user mode and try to crack this guy's main user password? I'm not even sure it might work, I guess he used a not-so-bad password.
What's more important: This guy's data on the machines or the fact that they are corporate owned?

How would you deal with this?

Attached: meme.jpg (634x736, 92K)

didnt read lol

Not your problem. If the place you work at doesn't enforce sensible policies for that scenario it's an issue your IT admins need to deal with

What the fuck even is this thread

Not an IT admin by any stretch but: Present situation to superiors, they should decide (absolutely get that decision in written form). I doubt you want the nightmare of "IT admin at a school hacking into private data" or however that's going to be presented...

Report it to your boss if you think it is something illegal. If not, dont touch it. Maybe he asked nicely before using them. Also, a swiss judge will probably rule that ownership of private data is way stronger then your self imposed privilege to break into those computers.

Do you actually need to deploy those or you're just jerking off to get some good boypoints?
If you need to deploy, just phone them and ask if it's alright to wipe them. Wipe the drive and install latest OS.
Use some common sense

did you even talk to your boss about this?

Do you even know who the CEO of Apple is?

Why are you so desperate to look at this guys porn? That's creepy as hell.

Just tell the admins what you found and wipe the computer.

Why the hell do you care?
If they do their job nice why should you wipe their shit?
Do you want your superiors to headpat you and say you are a good goyim?

Give it back, Jamal.

Assuming OP made up the story at this point...

Why do you even care about his data? Are you a cop? Just do your job, nothing good will happen by doing stuff outside your job description.

>repurpose
reuse

It's me looking for advice from fellow technicians about an ethical topic.
I'm stuck at this point, which is why I came here.

We already had a talk about looking at their emails from their corporate accounts because my boss thought there might be critical business information in them. We didn't check them yet.

I've been working as a Mac admin for about 5 years now and I know my way around the system quite well. Make of that what you want.

I don't have time to consume whatever private data is on those systems, be it porn or whatever. All I am interested in is business related information. Using equipment which is financed by tax paying citizens for private purposes is not what one is employed for by the state, at least in my opinion. It's abuse.

You're not fooling anybody. If you're concern is misuse of public property you would report it and wipe it, not try to crack into it.

You desperately want to touch your dick while looking at this guys pornography. Why are so many swiss people such creeps?

This. Op is just a creep

the real solutions are:
Wipe drive
Change drive

Yeah right, I'm so sick and desperate that I get on this board and post about it.
I'm just trying to fool everyone so I can look at some random porn.

>>Yeah right, I'm so sick and desperate that I get on this board and post about it.
I love when creeps type out admissions but feign sarcasm while doing it.

good post

Phone him and ask about the machine and the account.

You just prove Jow Forums once more to be the primitive and toxic platform it's always been known for.

I prefer people think of it that way

>you guys won't help me get at this guys pornography, you're all primitive and toxic!
If you feel that way then fuck off and never come back.

Thank you.

I'll admit that im awkward and ask awkward questions. But it's not that hard to give a simple answer, even if it sounds stupid.

Why are you so ridiculous?
Why do you even post if you can't trust me in what I am trying to say?

>FileVault
>Firmware password

Your only option is pretty much wipe the drives clean. You aren't getting access to the information on those drives.

Like do you always spend your time accusing people of being trolls and creeps because of your inability to comprehend their problem?

If there's no evidence of wrongdoing, and no one with authority has asked you to preserve it: wipe it and move on. It's very common to put your own user locally on machines, so you can fix and work on them when needed, or even just so you have a machine to use when you're at that location. Also, any security minded admin will enable encryption. Those two things together don't equal evidence of wrongdoing. Wiping it now is helping yourself, him, and the school.

Don't you think I might be able to crack the password on the older system when I can remove the firmware password, or let it be removed? Afaik FileVault is only encrypting home directories in the older versions.

Mine your business, user. We'll talk about this at work tomorrow and expect heavy repercussions.

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IIRC filevault is using aes128. So good luck with that.

Thanks for your response.

Can you? Possibly. A VERY slim possibility. As in, you're more likely to survive a day in the desert naked without food, water or shade and surrounded by a million starving rattlesnakes, scorpions and a massive tribe of xenophobic Bedouin.

Go ahead and try. After two weeks of failure, you'll just go through with your only option and wipe the drive.

We trust you have received the usual lecture from the local System
Administrator. It usually boils down to these three things:

#1) Respect the privacy of others.
#2) Think before you type.
#3) With great power comes great responsibility.

I do expect those. But my weekend ends on Monday.

>reuse
recycle

I am the local System Administrator and as I said I don't care about anybody's invoices or credit card information. I don't care about private documents. I don't always think before typing, as no one always does. It is my responsibility to get a hold of all critical information concerning my business.

Go back to 9gag, faggot

And guess what? That information is no longer accessible. No amount of what-ifs or fucking around with them will change that.

Just because it's your job doesn't mean that there's 100% a way to get that info. Because there isn't. It's gone.

ask the old admin the password
wipe the drive if he doesn't give it

Personally I'd just ignore these machines, unless there is a need to repurpose them.
It sounds as if those were the admins workstations. Keep them as such unless he is terminated / transferred away.

If you really need the computers change the drive and keep them safe. If that is not an option consult with your superior whether wiping them is alright.

And I am puzzled how you even came into a position of digital power without Admin 101. Don't fuck with a users data unless there is need for intervention. If possible ask the user before accessing.
Hoping there might be some good porn on the machines is not a good reason to intervene.

Give it back, Jamal.

this

>It is my responsibility to get a hold of all critical information concerning my business.
>my business
>he calls the school he works for "my business"

Thanks for your politely expressed and honest opinion. As I stated multiple times I'm neither looking for porn nor do I wanted to mess with any other of their private information as it's neither my interest nor related to my job. I am very well aware of this, so there's no need to be puzzled.

Sorry if that doesn't make sense to you, english is not everybody's native language.

This
If its "mission critical" then leave them the fuck alone, email your superiors (so its written), and wait. If they need computers they can buy some or get the last admin to unlock. If he doesn't he'll get fired and then you can blow it up or virtual the HDD or w/e you scum of an admin. Also stop caring so much about your job its not yours

I should say it's not MY native language.

I'm just asking for some fucking advice, I haven't done anything debatable yet. I don't see how this makes me "a scum of an admin".
Yeah I care too much about my job, it's probably the only thing I have.

didnt read lol

Why the fuck are you asking on an anonymous image board when this is literally the kind of thing that your supposed to ask your supervisor?

I wanted to get more opinions. Some of them aren't too bad desu.

Are you new to this basket weaving forum? Or new to the internet in general?

>i wanted moar opinions
Bullshit. You haven't even gotten the basic and most important opinion of your supervisor. No you just went to Jow Forums. Your not interested in more opinions. Your interested in OTHER opinions. In other words, you don't want to hear what your supervisor's opinion is regardless if you have the self awareness to admit it or not. Instead you put a carrot on a stick for yourself and convinced yourself that there's important business stuff on there. In case you didn't realize, it doesn't matter for shit what anyone says here. It ought to be your supervisors decision. If I was your supervisor and you were pursuing something (even only in theory), wasting company time, and avoiding my opinion the matter, I world fire you on the spot. And you keep spewing ethical bullshit. Look at yourself for once. Stop being a little bitch.

Destroy them and write them off as employee theft.

You are transparent as fuck.