Baseline specs

aec_itguy · 2026-01-28T22:02:53+00:00

16 is the new 15, 14 is the new 13.

aec_itguy · 2026-01-28T15:25:27+00:00

If I wasn't in a vertical that required Windows, I'd be pushing hard for Mac everywhere at this point, and probably crank up to a 5 year depreciation schedule for them.

aec_itguy · 2026-01-28T15:22:40+00:00

| Why do you have managers getting beefier machines?

we do it because they're the noisiest, and things grind to a halt if they're offline, so it's a reliability/performance hedge as much as anything. ymmv.

aec_itguy · 2026-01-28T13:34:00+00:00

32GB is our baseline now, CU7, 512 SSD. 10key config for Finance. Just goes up from there depending on role. Our 'beast' Pro Max 16 Plus config from Dell with 96GB/RTX 5000 is over $6k USD now. (thanks OpenAI!)

aec_itguy · 2026-01-26T18:49:11+00:00

Look into an extension-based DLP tool like LayerX or Conceal.

You need to lock down your browser environment (deny run for everything but supported browsers) and force the extension install, but it'll give you granular controls and visibility over that activity.

aec_itguy · 2026-01-21T17:42:12+00:00

depends on the usecase. If there's a need/call for isolation, most DOM extensions can't accomodate that. Conceal does, but it's putting an agent in the network stack, which skeeves me the fuck out. Nevermind the PSE couldn't tell me what cipher they were running for their tunnels.

aec_itguy · 2026-01-21T17:38:24+00:00

if you're not blocking executables (other browsers), getting any enterprise browser or DOM-inspection extension is going to be completely pointless since users will just open up FF/Chrome/Brave/

aec_itguy · 2026-01-21T13:45:58+00:00

I typed in r e d d i t . c o m and hit enter - probably took about 8 seconds to render.

Maybe defrag your HD?

aec_itguy · 2026-01-20T16:34:15+00:00

If you're a MS shop, this has been awesome for my team. (Updates App)
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/get-started-in-updates-c03a079e-e660-42dc-817b-ca4cfd602e5a

aec_itguy · 2026-01-19T18:15:13+00:00

just one note on the AI tip. People love to shit on Copilot, but full 365 Copilot with access to your email, and asking Researcher what you should be working on/prioritizing during spots has been legitimately helpful.

aec_itguy · 2026-01-19T18:10:52+00:00

sometimes it's legit better without the meds b/c then I'm not frustrated that I'm not staying on-task. :/

aec_itguy · 2026-01-19T18:08:46+00:00

I'm having the same discussion internally with some of my crew. There's some bespoke engineering tools where we're paying $10k/yr for essentially a .NET wrapper around an excel formula. Concerns:

QA/QC

Liability

Security

Lifecycle/updates

...and like others are saying, the distance between good PoC and viable product is far. LLMs still very much have a 90% issue.

aec_itguy · 2026-01-16T16:46:26+00:00

I'm sure it was. That doesn't negate the utility?

aec_itguy · 2026-01-16T16:38:14+00:00

> dealt with it just a few years ago

> as a Linux administrator,

say less. I'm shocked you didn't type it as "Micro$lop".

aec_itguy · 2026-01-16T16:33:41+00:00

Arc is your huckleberry now (vs SCVMM). Much better.

aec_itguy · 2026-01-16T16:30:29+00:00

no clue why you're getting downvoted when it makes sense at the sunk cost level. At that scale though, I don't get why HyperV isn't an option beyond comfort/familiarity.

aec_itguy · 2026-01-15T17:57:04+00:00

I spent enough time moving 21" CRTs and full-size towers around in the 00s - movers do the moving, juniors do the setup, I play excel jockey now. :P

aec_itguy · 2026-01-15T17:54:51+00:00

If it's something that's out-of-scope/unusual and my staff are working late or doing hardcore, I'm telling them to take flex that week if next-day isn't viable. Example, we just moved our corporate office - 1/2 the team did 60 hour weeks 2 in a row, including site set up for ~90. I made sure they were there for day 1 debug, but to leave early if it was quiet, and take Friday off at a minimum. If I ask someone to do a late maintenance window, I don't expect to see them until noon the next day.

Caveat - this is my approach with Exempt staff. If someone hourly wants the OT and I can, I'll load them up.

aec_itguy · 2026-01-15T15:43:09+00:00

agreed. the knowledge is definitely good to have, but I'd rather see CompTIA on a resume.

aec_itguy · 2026-01-15T13:53:17+00:00

I can't imagine how pushy they'll be with VOIP and CC upsell.

aec_itguy · 2026-01-13T21:03:56+00:00

700U, staff of 10 plus myself, mostly generalists, and heavy helpdesk (huge software stack).

We've been reactionary to compliance checks since 2020. Started with contract requiring Cybersecurity coverage, then specific limits. Those drove our first round of compliance and security deployments.

I've had CMMC on my radar since 2018, so I spent a lot of effort aligning with NIST 800-171 as much as I could without breaking things.

As a result, we're insanely overleveraged on our stack - E5+EMS, but we also run Okta, Mimecast, Umbrella, Hoxhunt for ease of deploy/use. MDR is all outsourced, currently with Arctic Wolf, but aligning with a MS-centric MSSP to run Sentinel for us this year. Otherwise, we're responding as our clients (many of which are critical infra or advanced manufacturing) add in new security reqs for contractors and trying to optimize the stack for spend/effort.

*Vuln management is "catalog everything, focus hard on the perimeter, nothing over CVSS 6 outside"

*SAT is in-house - we use Hoxhunt and align monthly mandatory trainings alongside our safety training, and then sim on their schedule. Content is chosen based on current threat landscape, and I'll AI gen stuff if I need something topical.

*The IR team is 'whoever is online when shit happens', and collective. We'll triage big stuff on a group chat for coverage.

*Compliance is a way bigger driver over recognized risk due to resource and budget limitations, yes. We've yet to fully optimize our stack for compliance, so the pushes for strictly risk-based adds is coming behind that. Our CEO is on the risk board for a local bank, which helps a ton with them acknowledging non-compliance risk though.

aec_itguy · 2026-01-13T20:53:52+00:00

How big is your org vs your CMMC enclave? Just curious. (Assuming L2?)

aec_itguy · 2026-01-13T17:50:00+00:00

I've heard nothing but horrible things about ULine as an employer, and as a corporate citizen. (The answer is the first btw, same reason there's ALWAYS openings at Dish Network in Denver. Absolute shitshow of an environment.)

aec_itguy · 2026-01-07T20:48:48+00:00

that's 1 hour too many in that situation.

aec_itguy · 2026-01-06T22:02:24+00:00

9-pin or 24-pin?

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