Support Networks

Sunday night, just as bath time was finishing up, one of our children slipped and busted his chin on the tub. After some 1st aid, the decision was made to go to the hospital for stitches. We made one phone call to a member of our support network and about 20 minutes later our support had arrived, a grandmother.

While this was a family emergency I got to thinking about how blessed we are to have a good local support network, I got to thinking about my computer support network. What happens if I get multiple emergency calls at the same time? Where do I turn if I'm out of ideas? Who do I talk to about the latest threats, the latest projects, new ideas?

If you do not have a network, start building one. Your local chapters of ISSA, Infragard, ASIS, a 2600 meeting group, SecurityCatalysts.org, technibble.com, league of professional system administartors.org, citysec.org, technical IRC channels, a local LUG, a SAGE chapter, a local computer club. I highly recommend working on an nurturing a support network, there is nothing like being owed a favor or 2 when you really need it. Earning favors is easy, just share your experience. If the groups are local join, give of your time, a few hours here and there can really add up. Share how you manage your updates, talk about scripts you've written to handle this or that, ask questions about how some one else accomplished another feat.

-- Tim Krabec
Kracomp.com