FTP Access within Corporate Environments

I am working in an organisation that has very tight rules about FTP access. I have to try and organise time for every rebuild I want to do and tell them what FTP site I will be downloading drivers from and for how long so that they can open FTP access for that specified time and site.

Their excuse is that opening FTP access outbound would make the organisation vulnerable even if was restricted to one IP address. Is this true? Is there a work around we can establish so that IT staff don’t have to make these ridiculous appointments so that they can complete their work? Am I not taking the risk seriously enough? What do other organisations do?

Please comment as I would like to go back to the organisation and see if I can convince them otherwise.

Thanks

Vivian