Naturally, I knew this well before today. , and it can be agonizing to come into contact with co-workers -- some of them friends -- and say nothing, despite knowing that they will lose their jobs in a few days. But as the security officer, I needed to be privy to the list ahead of time because I had to take steps to ensure continued security.

My first task was to identify any layoff candidates who represented single points of failure, meaning they were the only employees who could perform a particular critical job function. Single points of failure, human or otherwise, are a bad idea. But it happens, and it's better to recognize them in advance than to realize your mistake after they've left the company.

I was also expected to identify employees who could pose a danger to themselves, others or company resources. This isn't really something that involves information security, but the "security" label in my title has drawn me into some areas related to .

Trouble Ticket

Issue: A 15% reduction in the company's workforce means access to systems must be secured appropriately.