Submission + - Dealing with pirated software at work. 1
LoneAdminOK writes: I started working for a small company in the middle of January as their IT Manager. I am the first actual 'IT Guy' that they have had, before me it was someone that performed another job within the company and just handled the IT on the side. They have gotten large enough that they needed a full-time IT person to handle things.
The problem that I am running into is that most of the software I am finding in the network and on people's computers isn't owned by the company. The person before me would just 'get it' from somewhere and install in on the computers as needed. This is putting me in an bad position when I have to reinstall the program or find it to install on someone elses computer. Often I am telling people that we don't have it or we have to buy another license and they get mad at me because the other guy said that we had it. I can't even tell where the versions of Windows Server that they are running came from. The only one I know is legit is the one that is installed on an HP Server with the OEM sticker on it.
How have any of you handled a situation like this. I don't install 'borrowed programs' in a production environment because I know that if the BSA got wind of this it would all fall on me when they stormed in. I'm to pretty for prison.
The problem that I am running into is that most of the software I am finding in the network and on people's computers isn't owned by the company. The person before me would just 'get it' from somewhere and install in on the computers as needed. This is putting me in an bad position when I have to reinstall the program or find it to install on someone elses computer. Often I am telling people that we don't have it or we have to buy another license and they get mad at me because the other guy said that we had it. I can't even tell where the versions of Windows Server that they are running came from. The only one I know is legit is the one that is installed on an HP Server with the OEM sticker on it.
How have any of you handled a situation like this. I don't install 'borrowed programs' in a production environment because I know that if the BSA got wind of this it would all fall on me when they stormed in. I'm to pretty for prison.
