They Wanted 60 Emails a Day for USB Access – He Made Sure They Regretted It

A programmer was sent to a construction site with his work laptop and an old external hard drive. His job was straightforward, transfer large files back and forth to keep the project running smoothly.

But instead of focusing on his actual work, he quickly ran into a company rule that made everything much harder than it needed to be.

The rule was simple but frustrating: every single time he plugged in his USB drive, he had to send an email to the company’s admin team to receive a one-time password. Only then could he use the drive.

For someone who needed constant access to his files, this rule turned into a nightmare. What should have been a smooth process became a series of delays and wasted time. Instead of writing code and solving problems, he was stuck sending emails and waiting for responses.

When Bureaucracy Clashes with Productivity – Here’s The Original Post:

Why the Policy Was a Problem

The company probably created this rule to prevent data breaches or protect against malware.

USB drives can sometimes carry viruses or be used to steal sensitive information. But the policy didn’t take into account the type of work being done.

It might have made sense for sales staff or office workers who rarely needed USB drives, but for him it was a major roadblock.

The Clever Plan

Instead of complaining or trying to ignore the rule, the programmer decided to follow it exactly as written. If the company required an email for every single USB connection, then that’s exactly what he would give them.

But he didn’t stop there. To prove how impractical the rule was, he found a way to cut power to his external drive every 10 to 15 minutes.

Each time the power was cut, the system treated it as if the drive had been reconnected. That meant he had to send another email asking for a password.

In just one day, the admin team received 50 to 60 emails from him alone. And he kept this up for three days straight.

The Breaking Point

It didn’t take long before the admin team realized how bad the situation had become. Their inbox was flooded with requests, and instead of improving security, the policy was only creating more problems.

After three days of nonstop emails, the head admin finally gave up. They granted the programmer temporary control over his laptop so he could use the USB drive without constantly needing new passwords.

The policy was still in place, but at least it no longer blocked him from doing his work.

Why His Plan Worked

By following the rule exactly as written, the programmer exposed just how unreasonable it was. If he had simply complained, the company might have dismissed his concerns.

But by showing them the real-world results, dozens of wasted emails every day, he forced them to face the problem.

His plan worked because it highlighted the gap between security rules and practical work.

Companies often create blanket policies without thinking about how they affect employees in different roles. A rule that looks good on paper can become a disaster in practice.

Expert Opinion

Technology experts often warn about the risks of strict policies that don’t match real job needs. A 2024 report by Cybersecurity Insider found that 72% of employees admitted to bypassing IT rules when they made work harder.

Tech consultant Sarah Johnson explained in a 2023 TechCrunch article:

“Security measures must align with job demands, blanket USB bans without robust file-sharing alternatives hurt productivity.”

In this case, the programmer didn’t try to bypass the rules at all, he followed them too closely. By doing so, he showed the company that the system needed to change.

Here’s what the community had to contribute:

They praised his creativity and patience, saying it was a clever example of “malicious compliance”, when someone follows the rules so literally that it exposes how broken they are.

Some even joked that he should have written a program to send the emails automatically, just to make the problem worse for the admin team.

Others shared their own stories about dealing with IT rules that slowed down their work.

A Tech Triumph or a Risky Hack?

In the end, the programmer won his small battle. His clever USB trick forced the company to reconsider how their rules were affecting real work. He didn’t break the rules, the simply followed them so carefully that they collapsed under their own weight.

This story is a reminder that workplace policies should make jobs easier, not harder. Security is important, but it should never come at the cost of productivity. Sometimes the best way to change a bad system is not to ignore it, but to show exactly how broken it is.

If you were in his position, what would you have done? Would you fight the rule with the same tactic, or would you try to negotiate a calmer solution with management?