Section 10.10 Persistence with Recalcitrant SysAdmins Pays Off

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10.10 Persistence with Recalcitrant SysAdmins Pays Off

SysAdmins who have tracked down a system that has repeatedly attacked their network commonly contact the system's SysAdmin or Webmistress, explain the problem, and ask that it be corrected. More common than not, the response is none or we cannot be bothered. Some techniques on dealing with potential nonresponses are discussed in "Other SysAdmins: Do They Care?" on page 717. Most administrators of systems that have been attacked just throw in an IP Tables rule to block their packets or in the case of spam do the following as root

 cd /etc/mail echo "[e-mail] tab DISCARD" >> access make 

and accept the lost bandwidth. However, persistence can pay off. Telephone the organization and get the name and extension of the responsible person or their management. Call them several times a day until the matter is resolved to your satisfaction. If the problem is serious enough and you have the backing of your management, ignore the threats of calling the authorities that will certainly follow. Most will not call. Of the few that do, their complaints likely will be ignored, and if the authorities actually get involved, the first thing they will do, at worst (for you), is to ask you to stop. In your case, though, you have a legitimate reason for calling.

The effectiveness of this was thoroughly demonstrated to me recently when the phone company made an error in my bill. My attempts to resolve it by normal means failed and I started getting harassing calls from MCI at least daily and up to four times a day demanding payment. My demands not to phone me again or I would file a complaint about harassing calls with the authorities were ignored. When I asked each person calling to connect me with a manager to discuss the matter, they either hung up on me or put me on infinite hold. My certified letter to MCI was ignored.

Eventually, I surrendered and mailed the amount they demanded. Even then, they refused to stop calling until the payment was received in a distant city, despite my explaining that I had mailed payment, and they refused to connect me to anyone with the authority to change this or otherwise resolve this error. Needless to say, I never, ever will do business with MCI again. If you do, I wish you luck.

Lessons to be learned:

1. Persistence commonly pays off in achieving one's goal.

2. Be sure to have an escalation process for dealing with people who are dissatisfied with the standard handling of their matter and make sure that everyone involved follows it.

   Even the U.S. Internal Revenue Service has an escalation process. When it refuses to respond to your complaint or certified letter, sending an ordinary letter to your Congressman (if you are a U.S. citizen) explaining your problem will activate this escalation process. Your record will be specially tagged as Under Congressional Investigation, any threatened action against you will be blocked, and the matter will be transferred to a special department which will listen to you. I can assure you from personal experience that it works well.

3. Angering the wrong person, however, will cost you.

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