TL;DR
A reader identified as 'Patrick' told The Register he used remote admin access to shut down two colleagues' PC after they bullied a junior co-worker. The shutdown provoked a loud argument that attracted management, and Patrick says he was never identified.
What happened
A contributor to The Register's 'Who, Me?' column recounted intervening when two staff members berated an 18-year-old colleague whose role was resetting passwords at a UK government agency. The contributor, who asked to be called 'Patrick', said managers did not step in, so he carried out his own retaliation. He walked past the aggressors' desk, noted an asset number on the PC label and later discovered that asset tag matched the machine's hostname. From his workstation he used a command-line remote shutdown to turn their PC off silently and timed it to coincide with what he believed was the moment they would save a large spreadsheet. The sudden shutdown led the pair to assume their work had been lost, and their ensuing argument summoned management to the scene. Patrick acknowledged that logs could have implicated him but said no one investigated, and he did not reveal his role until sharing the story with The Register.
Why it matters
- Illustrates how workplace bullying can persist when managers do not intervene, prompting staff to take matters into their own hands.
- Highlights the risks that come with privileged remote access and the potential for it to be used outside authorised procedures.
- Shows a real-world intersection of technical capability and workplace ethics that organisations need to address.
- Underscores the importance of audit logs and monitoring in tracing misuse of administrative tools.
Key facts
- The story was contributed to The Register's 'Who, Me?' reader column and published on Jan 5, 2026.
- The anonymous contributor used the pseudonym 'Patrick'.
- The incident occurred at a UK government agency where the contributor worked on a tech support team.
- The junior colleague targeted by the bullying was described as 18 and assigned to password resets.
- Two staff members reportedly shouted at and bullied the junior worker; management did not immediately intervene.
- Patrick noted the bullies' PC asset number from a label and discovered it matched the PC's hostname.
- He executed a silent remote shutdown from a command line, timing it to coincide with a likely Save action on a spreadsheet.
- Their argument over the presumed loss of work drew management to the scene; Patrick said no one investigated the remote action logs.
What to watch next
- Whether the organisation reviewed logs or carried out any forensic or disciplinary follow-up — not confirmed in the source.
- If the agency changed access controls, endpoint protections, or asset labelling practices after the incident — not confirmed in the source.
- Whether the bullied employee received support or whether management altered how such incidents are handled going forward — not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- Remote shutdown: A command or administrative action that powers off a computer from another device on the network.
- Hostname: A human-readable identifier assigned to a computer on a network, used to locate or reference the device.
- Asset tag: A physical label or identifier affixed to hardware for inventory and management purposes.
- Admin access: Privileged system permissions that allow users to perform maintenance and control functions on IT equipment.
- Audit log: A chronological record of system events and user actions used for monitoring and forensic analysis.
Reader FAQ
Did the contributor identify himself to management at the time?
Not confirmed in the source; the contributor said he did not reveal his role until speaking to The Register.
Was any data actually lost when the PC was shut down?
Not confirmed in the source; the bullies assumed a save had failed, but the article does not verify actual data loss.
Did the organisation take disciplinary or legal action?
Not confirmed in the source.
Who published the account and where did it appear?
The Register published the account in its 'Who, Me?' reader-contributed column on Jan 5, 2026.
SOFTWARE 1 Techie turned the tables on office bullies with remote access rumble Meet the ‘Mean Avenger’, the office anti-hero who steps in when managers don’t defend their team Simon…
Sources
- Techie turned the tables on office bullies with remote access rumble
- Techie used remote access to take revenge on office bullies
- How workplace bullying went remote
- Workplace Harassment in the Age of Remote Work
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