‘He got multiple warnings: Cybersecurity team plays lighthearted pranks on the new hire to teach him about safety protocol, then he demands special treatment and gets fired for failure to comply

Author image for Jesse Kessenheimer
Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Sep 4, 2025 3:00 PM EDT

Company policy has a way of cornering employees into a fun-free work environment; however, this cybersecurity team found their own way to comply with code and still keep things fun. By playing a little game with one another as a reminder to keep their computer screens locked in their absence, the team managed to keep company policy lighthearted and playful… Until the new hire came around. 

Failing to see how a good-natured prank could teach them how to stay secure on their computers, this new hire insisted to their department manager that they wanted to be held to company standards and company standards only. Little did they know that by the strict rules of their security department's policy, he had already broken hundreds of rules and incurred a number of fireable offenses. 

Well, if you don't want to play the games of your computer safety team, perhaps the law of the land will teach you a lesson instead.

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  • AMRIAN KARMA.
    via Christina Morello

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • "Don't want to play, no problem"

    I've worked in computer security for a very long time. A security policy that I'm sure most of the audience here is familiar with is that you always lock your computer when you walk away.
    via i_dont_wanna_sign_in
  • Even if you're an accountant or receptionist, you just can't leave your machine unlocked ever. About 10 years ago my team would have fun with this.
    via i_dont_wanna_sign_in
  • If you ran to the bathroom or even had a conversation with your back turned someone would sneak up to your computer and jump on the chat client or even email and say something silly or stupid like "Does anyone know the meaning of life" or some other random thing.
    via i_dont_wanna_sign_in
  • A lot of the teams would do this and it was mostly harmless but also was supposed to "shame" you into remembering to lock your computer before you walk away, without reporting you to security for your formal reprimand (retraining - write-ups - disciplinary action - job hunt).
    via i_dont_wanna_sign_in
  • Everyone knew it was good-natured and when the messages went out everyone had a good laugh. One day a new guy shows up and he leaves his computer unattended.
    via i_dont_wanna_sign_in
  • I introduce myself, shake his hand, chat him up a bit and finally tell him he needs to lock his computer when he walks away, it's company policy, he probably ignored that in the training but it's a big deal.
    via i_dont_wanna_sign_in
  • Sent him the documentation, because he thinks it's stupid (again, we're in the *security* umbrella). He says "whatever". I shrug walk away, and he and walks away making a show of not locking his computer.
    via i_dont_wanna_sign_in
  • He got multiple warnings over his first few weeks from his team and other, but was a complete bot about it.
    via i_dont_wanna_sign_in
  • After a while the team decides he's had enough warnings (and started being granted access to sensitive stuff) and so he was fair game.
    via i_dont_wanna_sign_in
  • Not long after I walked by him on his way to the elevator atrium, SO I know he's going to be gone for a while. I sit down, find his email client and type out a silly message to his team's DL and hit send.
    via i_dont_wanna_sign_in
  • As I'm standing up he's walking back. He finds me and demands to know what I was doing. I shrug, say "whatever" and walk away.
    via i_dont_wanna_sign_in
  • NUTANIX KALMA CD EMC EMERSON
    via Christina Morello

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Later that day his manager walks up and tells me that he explained the situation to his new employee, and that the new guy "didn't want to play that game" and was considering reporting me to security for impersonating him.
    via i_dont_wanna_sign_in
  • Really? Okay. No problem, Mr Manager (we were on very good terms), we will not play "the game" with your newbie. I will follow standard procedures.
    via i_dont_wanna_sign_in
  • I got my team and a few others on chat to tell them that under no circumstances should anybody fire a message from him when they saw his computer unlocked.
    via i_dont_wanna_sign_in
  • No "shame" reminders for newbie. Just follow the standard procedure. Almost 50 security violation tickets were logged in the next two days.
    via i_dont_wanna_sign_in
  • [his desk happened to be closer to the elevator atrium, break room, and bathrooms so a lot of normal traffic] He was in security retraining the following Monday.
    via i_dont_wanna_sign_in
  • We were in an open floor plan and I could see how mad he was talking to his manager and gesturing in my direction quite a bit.
    via i_dont_wanna_sign_in
  • Not my fault, I had only opened two tickets. His manager asked me to let up. Sorry, just following standard procedure, if I don't report these violations I'm liable.
    via i_dont_wanna_sign_in
  • Dude's computer was locked for the rest of that Monday only. The following day as I walked by, there was his email, for all eyes to see and newbie nowhere to be found...
    via i_dont_wanna_sign_in
  • He happened to be getting coffee, which was my destination as well, and I told I noticed he forgot to lock his computer. He cussed me out and speed-walked back.
    via i_dont_wanna_sign_in
  • The damage was done. He'd already had a dozen tickets opened by others. And the security policy had changed at some point.
    via i_dont_wanna_sign_in
  • Now it was a quick retraining then straight to disciplinary action (no write-up). He had to attend a meeting with his boss, director, and some security folks (I would find out much later that he got put on a security related PIP).
    via i_dont_wanna_sign_in
  • He was gone in a week. No one was out to ruin anyone's career here, but if you want to work in security and flagrantly violate policy because... I don't know why, well, you don't belong there.
    via i_dont_wanna_sign_in
  • CoderJoe1 Yup, after getting shamed and a warning, I set my lockscreen up to look like an open email client. Had plenty of fun with that one until the admin undid my changes.
    via CoderJoe1
  • Signal-Woodpecker691 ⚫ I had a friend who worked for a company that had defence contracts and security was really tight, they had a "clear desk" policy - no leaving stuff on your desk when you went home, all documents had to be secured in your drawer or the designated filing cabinet.
    via Signal-Woodpecker691
  • There was 24hr security, they would do rounds every night and if they found documents left out they would log it and confiscate them so you had to go to the security office to get it. They kept track of all incidents and you got one chance- first time was a warning,
    via Signal-Woodpecker691
  • next time your access card was locked and you had to report to reception to be allowed into the building instead of swiping yourself in. Repeat infringement resulted in disciplinary and people would be fired.
    via Signal-Woodpecker691
  • You also had to lock your computer when you walked away and they were set to auto lock after 15 mins of inactivity
    via Signal-Woodpecker691

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boss worker employee manager job work coworkers cybersecurity working ceo employees prank supervisor workplace pranks company coworker business
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