IT Horror Stories with Jack Smith

Welcome to the story of a perfectly known and visible laptop that somehow became critical production infrastructure inside a warehouse environment — without going through proper validation, testing, or operational review. The system worked, solved an immediate problem, and was quickly integrated into daily operations... right up until the laptop entered sleep mode and warehouse activities ground to a halt.

What followed was a frantic investigation into why scanners stopped working, workflows froze, and logistics operations suddenly stalled because of a standard power-saving setting. It's a story about how quickly "temporary" operational solutions can become business-critical, and why governance, testing, and basic operational checks matter far more than people realize — especially when convenience quietly reaches production.

Want even more info ? Read our show notes and related blog post related to this episode : https://blog.ithorrorstories.eu/episode-14-sleep-mode-in-production/

00:00 Introduction 01:32 Early 2000s IT 03:07 Warehouse Down 05:07 Troubleshooting Begins 09:23 Cable Chaos 11:18 Director's Laptop 15:57 Lessons Learned 21:31 Conclusion

We explore a hypothetical ransomware scenario that mirrors what many organizations could face today. Imagine a normal day where systems suddenly become inaccessible, data is encrypted, and the scope of the attack starts to unfold in real time. What follows is a race against the clock, with teams trying to understand what's happening while keeping critical operations alive.

More importantly, we focus on the response and recovery: the trade-offs, the communication challenges, and the lessons organizations can take away before something like this actually happens. Because ransomware isn't just a technical problem — it's an operational and human one, where preparation and clarity matter as much as the tools in place.

Want even more info ? Read our show notes and related blog post related to this episode : https://blog.ithorrorstories.eu/episode-13-ransomware-lockdown/

00:00 Introduction 01:05 Ransomware Explained 03:08 Attack Entry Points 06:16 Employee Training 13:00 AI Phishing Threats 20:18 Data Leaks Aftermath 25:26 Cybersecurity in Mergers 28:18 Recovery Steps 33:04 Conclusion

The Boeing 747 is often cited online as proof that aviation still runs on floppy disks — but the reality is a bit more nuanced. In this Rant, we take a closer look at how certain older aircraft, particularly some 747-400 configurations, still use floppy disks to load navigation data into their Flight Management Systems. It's not about being outdated — it's about reliability, certification, and systems that have proven themselves over decades of operation.

We also compare this against the wider IT world, where legacy systems continue to power critical operations for the exact same reasons. From aviation to enterprise IT, the story isn't about old technology refusing to die — it's about why replacing it is often far more complicated than it seems.

Want even more info ? Read our show notes and related blog post related to this episode : https://blog.ithorrorstories.eu/jacks-rants-floppy-disks-at-35000-feet/

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00:00 Old Tech in Flight 01:14 747-400 Spotlight 02:17 Why Floppy Disks? 03:48 Industry Examples 07:48 IT World Mirror 09:22 Modern Tensions 09:58 Lighthearted Wrap

Conducted during a busy release weekend, the failover test exposed gaps not in the technology itself, but in coordination and communication. While production ultimately stayed unaffected, the situation quickly escalated as subcontractors weren't aligned, assumptions didn't match reality, and information didn't flow when it mattered most.

We unpack how a well-intentioned test turned into a coordination challenge, where timing, dependencies, and unclear responsibilities created confusion across teams. It's a story about how resilience isn't just about systems and infrastructure, but also about people, processes, and making sure everyone is on the same page — especially when things are supposed to "just be a test."

Want even more info ? Read our show notes and related blog post related to this episode : https://blog.ithorrorstories.eu/episode-12-the-failover-that-failed-successfully/

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00:00 Welcome & Setup 01:34 Corporate Environments 03:30 Failover Planning 07:19 Double Disaster 09:08 Critical Failure 13:20 Realization Moment 15:28 Split Brain 17:34 The Recovery 21:13 Lessons Learned 31:32 Conclusion

In this short episode, Jack takes a look at the current state of the IT hiring market — where job postings seem plentiful, but actual opportunities often feel strangely elusive. From "entry-level" roles asking for a decade of experience to companies searching for the mythical full-stack, cloud, DevOps, security expert all in one person, we discuss the growing gap between job descriptions and reality. With a bit of sarcasm and a lot of firsthand observation, we unpack what's going on in tech hiring right now and why so many professionals feel like the market has become a puzzle nobody quite understands.

Want even more info ? Read our show notes and related blog post related to this episode : https://blog.ithorrorstories.eu/jacks-rant-it-hiring-chaos/

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00:00 Introduction 00:39 Market Struggles 02:22 Hardware Shortages 02:56 Merged Roles 05:12 Interview Issues 08:31 AI's Impact 10:18 Conclusion

A few hundred field engineers. Real humans. With vans. And jobs. All coordinated by a device roughly the size of a coaster and powered by something suspiciously similar to a phone charger.

For months, it runs slow but flawlessly. Tickets dispatched. Routes optimized. Managers happy. The tiny silicon hero hums along in its noble plastic case, bravely pretending it's not one 'apt upgrade' away from a crisis.

Join us as we unravel the mystery, debate the true definition of "production-ready," and ask the question no one wanted to say out loud.

Want even more info ? Read our show notes and related blog post related to this episode : https://blog.ithorrorstories.eu/episode-11-raspberry-mistery/

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00:00 Welcome Back 01:23 Shadow IT Chaos 05:18 Major Outage 12:04 Data Center Discovery 17:59 Where's the Server? 19:58 Raspberry Pi Reveal 25:13 Migration Success 30:36 Closing Thoughts

Jack's Rants dives into the world of banking mainframes and the batch jobs that quietly keep everything moving — until one of them doesn't. What starts as a routine overnight run turns into a multiple transactions on thousands of accounts that didnt happen in the real world, but the mainframe says something else.

Want even more info ? Read our show notes and related blog post related to this episode : https://blog.ithorrorstories.eu/jacks-rant-batch-job-blues/

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00:00 Rant Kickoff 01:23 Transaction Glitch 03:14 Batch Job Drama 05:23 Mainframe Pros 07:33 Wrap Up

This episode we unpack what a DDoS attack actually is, using the specter of Anonymous as a cultural touchstone rather than a how-to villain. We talk about why high-profile groups target services, what it feels like in real time when traffic spikes and systems start gasping, and how panic can make things worse.

Instead of glorifying attackers, we center on mindset: staying calm, recognizing early warning signs, and understanding the difference between noise and a true outage.

The takeaway isn't technical bravado; it's preparedness. By the end of the episode, "surviving" a DDoS means knowing how to keep your service, your team, and your reputation intact when the internet decides to stress-test you all at once.

Want even more info ? Read our show notes and related blog post related to this episode : https://blog.ithorrorstories.eu/episode-10-surviving-the-anonymous-ddos/

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00:00 Hello & Introduction 00:51 The Anonymous Attack 06:19 Unprepared Response 13:52 DDoS Solutions 16:08 Smart Attacks 25:06 Evolution of Protection 33:11 Risk & Insurance 34:52 Podcast Wrap-Up

We dive into the familiar chaos of Shadow IT created by the sales department — well-intentioned, fast-moving, and completely invisible until something breaks. A "quick tool" turns into a critical system overnight, contracts appear after go-live, and IT is asked to secure, integrate, and support something it never approved or even knew existed. It's a story about speed versus control, good intentions with bad outcomes, and why Shadow IT doesn't start with malice — it starts with urgency.

Want even more info ? Read our show notes and related blog post related to this episode : https://blog.ithorrorstories.eu/episode-9-shadow-it-reports/

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00:00 Podcast Kickoff 01:11 What is Shadow IT 02:44 Sales Server Disaster 12:57 Data Migration Drama 23:45 Luck and Lessons 25:15 Common Shadow IT 26:58 Management Irony 28:02 Final Thoughts