has anyone mentioned teamviewer, and the power of USB sticks - IT staff can be control freak w*nkers, but as long as your machine has a USB port the power is by definition with you not them because they can only account for and therefore block what is within their system. Even if it hasn't, you can mail yourself programs, or dress them up zip them etc so IT don't get their filthy jobsworth snouts a-sniffing -They only have control over what's within their network but a USB stick can bring something from outside their network , if teamviewer doesn't work, why not set up an application to use your home PC as a server, they'd not know to block that because it's not commercially known as a proxy. If not, Teamviewer can go through most firewalls to remote control a home PC , if not look into proxies that aren't known or blacklisted.
I stream quotes into excel and format them so it looks like work to the untrained eye, then have a macro there to refresh it whenever the boss isn't about,and in future i'll write a macro to place orders so it isn't just watch it's interactively watch, I can presently place orders from the mobile or through teamviewer. The PC at home is programmed to fire up at certain times via use of scheduled tasks/hibernate etc
The whole thing appeals to my sense of rebellion , I love getting one up on IT, I don't need to be paid to enjoy doing that but it is especially sweet when it is making me money at the same time while they sit there sour faced "moderating" this that everything in the company. The slowest way to get rich is making money for a boss, the boss knows this so wants your undivided attention. Trading doesn't harm my day job, but eventually with some luck, trading will replace my day job.