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I always feel that somebody's watchin' me/And I have no privacy
CoJoeTheLawyer
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So I just got out of a general office meeting conducted by my boss's boss, and one of the issues raised during this meeting was the office's general computer use.
According to him, everyone's computer is being "monitored" (his words, not mine) and that they can read/see anything anyone accesses online. While it was stated that personal internet use is allowable to a point, they cautioned that they didn't want anyone going to the extremes in terms of personal usage or explicit content.
Now, I'm no tech. expert, but one of the things I first did when I started working is I double-checked to see what kind of programs were installed on my work computer in terms of spyware or monitoring software. I didn't see anything, and I also do not see anything running in my Windows Task Manager that would raise any Orwellian eyebrows. While I'm not accessing anything at work that would cause controversy (well....maybe these forums) I don't like the idea of someone having a full printout of my day's online activities. That...bothers me.
Questions 2
1. How can I definitely tell if there is some sort of monitoring program(s) on my computer or internet use in general?
2. If there are, how can I either disconnect them, or deceive them so my own computer is not monitored?
According to him, everyone's computer is being "monitored" (his words, not mine) and that they can read/see anything anyone accesses online. While it was stated that personal internet use is allowable to a point, they cautioned that they didn't want anyone going to the extremes in terms of personal usage or explicit content.
Now, I'm no tech. expert, but one of the things I first did when I started working is I double-checked to see what kind of programs were installed on my work computer in terms of spyware or monitoring software. I didn't see anything, and I also do not see anything running in my Windows Task Manager that would raise any Orwellian eyebrows. While I'm not accessing anything at work that would cause controversy (well....maybe these forums) I don't like the idea of someone having a full printout of my day's online activities. That...bothers me.
Questions 2
1. How can I definitely tell if there is some sort of monitoring program(s) on my computer or internet use in general?
2. If there are, how can I either disconnect them, or deceive them so my own computer is not monitored?
CoJoeTheLawyer on
0
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an answer to both of them: you probably can't.
some workplaces have setups where they monitor your network traffic at the router end, not by individual workstation. they can basically monitor your traffic without needing to install anything on the individual workstations. thus, you might not see anything on your own computer, but they can still monitor you anyways.
you may just need to accept that while you're at work, the employer owns the network as their own resource and has the ability to monitor that resource as a "cost of doing business". you have to assume that you will not get privacy on a work network.
steam | Dokkan: 868846562
2) you can't. It's your companies computer - they get to decide. With HTTPS you're "safe" from them learning your password to your bank account, but that's about it.
A VPN type tunnel would (should) get you noticed quickly. using proxies or whatever to hide your destination might work, but they'll still be able to tell your IP accessed this IP at such an such times.
Most companies monitor their employees configuring a filter or Switch device that routes all Internet traffic, so it is not actually running in your machine, but at the server level or router.
You should reconsider to try to bypass their activities, it is not your computer, or your internet connection, it belongs to the company you work for.
If they have you signed a document regarding Internet Usage, they could use that document to fire you.
Sorry.
2. Trying to subvert your work's computer use and monitoring policies is most definitely grounds for being fired.
Live with it.
B.net: Kusanku
1) You can't, at least not without having access privileges equaling whatever iron-fisted IT guy runs your network, and/or having built the system yourself from scratch. It's entirely possible there is stuff running that won't show up under the task manager.
2) Same answer - you can't. And even if you could, if you got caught you'd likely be facing some quite unpleasant consequences for breaking policy. I hope you didn't post this from work, if they are actually visiting/reading the sites people go to.
2. If you aren’t a sysadmin with limitless privileges on the network, there’s probably no way you can do this without getting caught. Anything you do to your own system might be noticed. Screwing around with the firewall will definitely be noticed. A capable sysadmin will even notice that you’re leaving some kind of encrypted tunnel open to home. Trying to not get monitored will probably get you attention faster than reading Asia Carrera’s blog entries.
If you really want to surf without being monitored by work, buy an iPhone.
How can I tell for certain? I mean, is there a way I can access the server to look at what's going on, even if I can't change it? We're not that high-tech...looks like a basic router server w/ a firewall, and if the admin is as predictable as I think he is, the password is the general password the entire office uses.
Are you really a lawyer? If so, you should know better than to screw around with your employer's usage policies. You'd feel really stupid if you got sanctioned by the bar for an ethical issue as dumb as hacking your employer's network.
Start buying drinks and snacks for the IT staff on a daily basis?
They're the only ones that are going to be able to give you a 100% answer, and they really have no reason to tell you - if they have any sense at all, they'd quite correctly be suspicious that you're only asking to try and find a way around the system.
I know it's annoying as hell, but it is NOT worth losing your job for, which is what will most likely happen if you start digging for a workaround.
Again, no, no, NO. Unless by "predictable" you really mean "drooling idiot who sits around and chews on mouse cords all day", you are going to get caught. Sorry to sound like an arrogant techie, but if they're paranoid enough to be doing constant monitoring of everyone, they're paranoid and probably smart enough to catch you.
There's no official written in stone policy with regards to any computer usage...there's only the oral, wishy-washy "hey guys, I don't care if you check e-bay on your lunch break, but don't overdue it" policy around here. Usage has never been a problem (or even mentioned) before.
Likewise, the bar has absolutely nothing to do with anything involving computer usage at work. As long as you're not falsely billing clients for your time (FYI, I'm not) or using it to enact some sort of crime, they don't care. At all.
This isn't your computer. It belongs to someone else. You have to accept that.
I never said they couldn't do it, or it was an invasion of my privacy. I know it is the company's computer, internet access, blah, blah blah. I just wanted to know if there was a way around it. Obviously, minus extreme mission impossible style tactics, the answer is no.
If you're done misconstruing the issue Tube, you can lock the thread.
My school in Japan had this set up and we didn't have any clue till one day my human anatomy teacher started typing in my friend's chat on yahoo. I must say it was quite funny.
They don't need a specific policy to kick you out for using the computer too much. I'm also 95% sure they don't need to tell you they're monitoring it.
I wouldn't worry about it so much. Googling for "male pubic shaving advice" might be a bad idea, but otherwise I would just do your job. If you're doing your job well, they won't fire you, even if you are on MSN all day long, or whatever. I've worked many jobs like that. Just do it well, and no harm, no foul.
What they will do is use the logs against you as a reason to fire you if they think you are doing your job badly. The IT guy shouldn't be watching the logs intently for ethical reasons, but usually because it's pretty boring. I mean, he could set up a filter to see if anyone was Googling/emailing for something amusing, but that would be a serious ethical breach, and likely to make him lose his job as well.
Apart from an SSH tunnel, you can't avoid this.
That's just it. In PA, they really don't need a reason at all to fire you. It's an "At - Will" employment state, so they can basically hire/promote/demote/fire* whoever they want for whatever reason they want. I'm not worried at all about losing my job, I just want to know if they are keeping tabs. If the answer is yes, and there is no simple way to get around it, then so be it.
*Unless you're under contract, or its done to discriminate against a protected class, etc.
1. Do not download Porn
2. Do not watch Porn
3. Do not Gamble
4. Do not download Music using e-mule or another P2P application
5. Do not (ever) download bootleg music and movies.
6. Do not play WoW, Unreal Tournament 2004, etc. online.
Basically, that's it.
Pretty much.
Dude, you're at work. Live with it and be thankful that they're letting you use the internet for some personal use. There's tons of places that won't let you even do that.
Are you talking about Mr. Breakfast?!? Don't fuck with Mr. Breakfast.
He's right. Try imagining your bosses point of view for a sec. Would you want your employees looking at kiddy porn? I think not.
At every place I've worked the computers have been monitored. I was lucky if I had access to my email. Consider yourself lucky.
good lord calm down. there is something to be said for liking privacy and/or disliking being monitored 24/7 regardless of work ethic.
yes, it is their network and their systems, but having an all-seeing eye watching over you is no ideal situation either.
CoJoe wasn't even asking for help on "goofing off", he just wanted to know if there was a means to maintain some semblance of privacy.
it's the whole "if you're not doing something wrong, you don't have to worry" mentality.
steam | Dokkan: 868846562
This is really, really, really important.
Even if you use a company laptop to do personal work at home, outside of work hours, you still have no expectation of privacy because you are using somebody else's computer. They have every right to install a keylogger on your work computer and monitor everything you do with it even if you are off-site and on your own time because the computer belongs to them.
I have to deal with this at my job all the time, especially when employees are fired. They want a few minutes with their laptop to copy some personal files off of it onto a USB flash drive. Usually, we give it to them, but if there is even the slightest suspicion that they might try to steal company files, the answer is an unequivocable no. "But those are my files" doesn't matter - you should have bought your own computer then.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
The sites you're visiting are absolutely logged, and an admin can look at how much company bandwidth you've spent visiting penny arcade. However, it's extremely unlikely anyone will ever bother unless (a) you're a top offender in your office and show up on a network usage report, or (b) your manager wants to fire you for some other reason and has an administrator pull your logs.
2 new questions
1. I use Firefox 3.0 - tabbed browsing. Will this effect how my network output usage report looks? Example. Right now, I have open Yahoo, PA forums, Westlaw and PADEP home page. Will all of this show up at once, or just bits & pieces depending on what I'm looking at?
2. If a browser/tab is open, but reduced to the background, dose it count towards your bandwidth usage, or only when you're actively using the browser?
There's no way to know this for sure without knowing exactly how your company is doing the monitoring.
If I had to guess, i'd say yes, it will show up that you accessed all those sites, because they all had to be connected to and loaded at some point.
You're a little confused about what bandwidth is - unless your computer is actively sending or receiving data at whatever time, you're not using bandwidth. Loading something in a tab and then switching tabs or whatever while it's loading will not prevent it from using bandwidth - it's still downloading whether you're watching it or not.
Bandwidth is only used when you're actually sending/receiving something. If the page you're on periodically updates itself, then those will be logged. The page just sitting there will not - there's no network traffic happening (at least as far as router monitoring goes).
EDIT: Beat, and somehow by a few minutes...
H^5 for paying my bills.
Seriously though, "bandwidth" is now used to mean two different things that have nothing to do with bandwidth anymore.
1. Amount of data that is transferred
2. Capacity for simultaneous transfer
We all make fun of the "series of tubes" analogy, but actually it fits rather well. "Bandwidth" can mean both the amount of water you drew from the tubes in total and the rate of water you are using at any particular time. Loading a page is like filling a thimble full of water. It's not a lot of water, and you are only using the tube for a little bit.
Browsing the web, especially a site like PA that is mostly small amounts of text and repeating images that can be cached, isn't going to be a problem. It's going to pale in comparison to your westlaw usage, where (I assume) you are regularly pulling down stuff like decisions which is like 50-100 pages of text at least, and, again, paying my rent.
1) Save your surfing for your home PC. Think of what's on the network at your place of employment. The reason that monitoring program is there is so that no malware/stuff that could get you or the workplace in trouble gets on the network. Wanting to bypass the security is like asking a cab driver to stop at midnight in the worst part of town to pull over and pick up the sword-wielding lunatic who swears he'll be your friend while eyeing your wang with a hungry gaze.
2) Any surfing you have second thoughts on doing at work should be done at home. Monitors are also there to make sure you're doing what they pay you to do.
I can has cheezburger, yes?
Bring your plugin.
Fixed.