Help-Porn Site Accessed

gamrey60

Today I was surfing the internet on my work pc and clicked on a link that took me to a porn site. YIKES! Once the site came up and I saw the photos, I immediately closed it out. (It was on the page for a second) The site had the word "porn" as part of it's web address. I was not connected to my VPN, just through my regular home wi-fi. I cleared out the history, deleted cookies, etc. My concern is I know the company uses Websense when in the office. Symantec is loaded for viruses. Are companies able to retrieve websites visited if they were not accessed via the VPN and the history was deleted? I am concerned if I log into the network it will be able to trace all pages visited and send a big red flag to the IT team, and I'll be fired.

Sharp101

I would think that if someone notices it in the logs they would let it slide. It should show that it was only the one page, and even if they do say something you can explain it was an accident. You'll be fine.

PolloDiablo

Bad news is, they could probably see it if they were looking at your traffic.

Good news is, nobody will care. If you spent all day surfing for porn, someone might ask you to stop, or restrict which sites you can visit. A one-time thing like that isn't going to attract any attention, though.

Black Ice

You could always bring the situation up before it becomes an issue. Then again, if it never happens again, then there isn't any sense in making an issue out of something that doesn't exist.

Plus, saying they do see your one link, it's just that - ONE link. They can see when you visited it, and I'm going to bet that your next visit recorded is on another website that has no porn. In other words, it will be apparent you weren't even surfing the porn web site since you clicked on one link. It would be hard to even argue otherwise.

NP

Guys, he said he was connected through his home wi-fi, not his work connection. Unless your work PC has some sort of keylogging software, I really doubt anyone will be able to find out about it. Even if someone somehow does, it's just one site, I really doubt it will be a problem unless someone's really really looking for a reason to fire you.

Topweasel

Even in the not connected through the VPN side of things he has security software loaded on his machine the dependent on his connection could be collection web traffic info. While doubtful that this would be an issue I mean that can be a lot of information to download and dissect, they could have filters and alerts for this. Since this was the first time, a single site, and off of work hours if it does become and issue (which is ridiculously low) it would probably be a warning and a reminder that his laptop is only for work.

Edit:
w00t! I am no longer in jail!

Zeon

Dont worry about it. You clicked a link by mistake and it took you to a porn site, and you didnt click through any links when you were there. You also werent on the company network so its doubtful theyll be able to see it. Even if they did, like someone else mentioned it was one visit. Hell, even if someone could see it, its doubtful they ever will. IT people have better things to do than look through someones internet logs unless theyve gotten a specific request to monitor someone.

Suriko

Zeon wrote: »

Dont worry about it. You clicked a link by mistake and it took you to a porn site, and you didnt click through any links when you were there. You also werent on the company network so its doubtful theyll be able to see it. Even if they did, like someone else mentioned it was one visit. Hell, even if someone could see it, its doubtful they ever will. IT people have better things to do than look through someones internet logs unless theyve gotten a specific request to monitor someone.

As an IT person, I can vouch for this. I'm more worried about the network shitting itself or what stupid idea my manager's gotten into his head than what a user might have accidentaly accessed once. I'm far from alone in this among people I've met, as well.

Edit: Seconding the antivirus/spyware scans. Introducing a virus onto the network is not exactly conducive to the aforementioned leniency.

JaysonFour

Still might be a good idea to run antiviral/antispyware scans on your laptop before you access the workplace network again.

Kalkino

Anyone who disciplines or tries to fire you for a brief (assuming they can tell it was brief), one off visit to a porn site that can most easily be put down to an accident is probably not someone you want to work with long term, IMO.

illig

lesson learned... never surf the internet on a work PC... i work from home, and i have several PCs and laptops just for that reason... you never know when a forum link will send you somewhere NSFW

That said, 99.999% (lol six sigma) of companies will only discipline you for repeated violation. If they use your single violation to fire you, then you can be safe in knowing that they wanted to fire you anyway, and were just looking for a pretext.

If it is a small company, make friends with the IT guy/guys (IT guys really appreciate free food) .... you'd be surprised what kind of stuff they see and let slide (seriously, like graphic animal and "german" porn being viewed by the CEO for hours every day, etc... )

Gihgehls

Suriko wrote: »

Zeon wrote: »

Dont worry about it. You clicked a link by mistake and it took you to a porn site, and you didnt click through any links when you were there. You also werent on the company network so its doubtful theyll be able to see it. Even if they did, like someone else mentioned it was one visit. Hell, even if someone could see it, its doubtful they ever will. IT people have better things to do than look through someones internet logs unless theyve gotten a specific request to monitor someone.

As an IT person, I can vouch for this. I'm more worried about the network shitting itself or what stupid idea my manager's gotten into his head than what a user might have accidentaly accessed once. I'm far from alone in this among people I've met, as well.

Edit: Seconding the antivirus/spyware scans. Introducing a virus onto the network is not exactly conducive to the aforementioned leniency.

IT guy checking in and quoting for accuracy.

MagicPrime

At my office the IT guys spend most of the day downloading torrents and playing Call of Duty 4...

mellestad

Websense typically only filters/monitors at the corporate gateway. Unless they are specifically logging your laptop they will never see the traffic unless someone actually takes your laptop and does an audit. And if they did that it would probably mean you were fired for something else anyway.

You should be fine. If you are pals with someone in IT though it might not hurt to ask.

And as an IT guy myself, I agree with the others...this would not cause me to notify HR. I would probably note it though. *BUT* many companies have iron clad HR policies about computer use that IT has nothing to do with so don't put too much faith in the benevolence of your IT staff.

Pheezer

Besides, even if someone actually went and reported this to your boss, the lack of a second click anywhere on the site pretty much proves that you weren't using the work network for the purpose of looking at porn and that it was an accident. You've got nothing to worry about at all, both the outstanding laziness epidemic in IT and the fact that you didn't actually do anything terrible are on your side.

mellestad

Hey now, be nice!