NIU

Computer Lab Security

Posted by Stacy on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 8:47 AM

A lot of my friends work at the various computer labs at my school. Before they could start though they had to go through a series of training and read up about security news and all of the things about the lab that they didn't know before.

They would tell me about the training sessions they had to go to and they were so extensive, but the funny part is that once they got the job they really did nothing. You basically have 2-3 hour shifts and you sit there and just make sure that everyone is okay or that the paper in the printer is okay. But you rarely ever have to deal with things like the security camera that they learned about in the training sessions.

There are a lot of things that I didn't know about the school computer labs until my friends took this job. I didn't know that there is an alarm monitoring the rooms or that the lab proctor for the testing labs has a camera on their screen so they can see what every person is doing (even though the picture is tiny and kind of out of focus). But basically their job entails of doing their homework and getting stuff done.

A lot of people do think though that this job is a waste, but it honestly isn't. If no one was in there to watch the lab, people will probably end up taking things. It is crazy when you hear about someone stealing a keyboard or a mouse. They seem like such small things, but you can sell them online and make money. Even if the lab assistant just sits there and does nothing (or does their homework or plays on the computer) they still have a presence that seems to deter people from stealing from the lab. I know at one point they were talking about eliminating this position at the university, but I guess they decided how important it really was. It is almost like when people don't have security systems on their homes, but they have a sign there saying that they do, just to scare people off. Well we do have cameras and things to keep the labs secure, but students sitting there can be intimidating to people who are thinking about stealing, and that little bit of protection always helps.