can an employer spy on what I do on my home computer?
Nov 4, 2007, 10:47 am
#16
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This brings up another question. Is there really any way to find a key stroke logger or software that "phones home????
Nov 4, 2007, 10:54 am
#17
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It requires nothing of the kind. You, as the employee, agreed to abide by the rules when you took the job. Don't like it? Work somewhere else.
But, more importantly, the courts have upheld that you have no expectation of privacy on company equipment, again as stated and agreed to at the time of employment. If you don't understand the implications of that, you need to. In fact, everyone needs to. Hopefully this will explain it better than I can.
But, more importantly, the courts have upheld that you have no expectation of privacy on company equipment, again as stated and agreed to at the time of employment. If you don't understand the implications of that, you need to. In fact, everyone needs to. Hopefully this will explain it better than I can.
The TITLE says home computer. I'm understanding that to be his/her own personal equipment and not purchased by the employer for the company's purposes.
I didn't grow up in a cave.
Nov 4, 2007, 11:47 am
#19
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And I quote from the original post.....(in case you didn't read)
what if I do it with a laptop from work?
Hence my original reply:
The safest answer is that if an outside enterprise (be it an employer, client, free public library connection, whatever) supplies any part of the resources necessary for you to do whatever it is you're doing, they can and likely do monitor it - and in many cases will control it.
Nov 4, 2007, 1:01 pm
#20
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I am most concerned with this:
If I am sitting at home on the home computer (or on work laptop that is provided by a client, but not online to their system) and I am looking at competitors' stock quotes or monster.com, or doing other research for marketing purpooses, should I assume THEY (client) can see what I am doing.
If I am sitting at home on the home computer (or on work laptop that is provided by a client, but not online to their system) and I am looking at competitors' stock quotes or monster.com, or doing other research for marketing purpooses, should I assume THEY (client) can see what I am doing.
If you are using your home computer and have your work-provided compuer connected to the same network as well, the work computer can not easily nor legally determine what yur home computer is doing and relay that information to the company.
To the point of the VPN connection, there are two ways a VPN connection can be confgured. One is to route all traffic via the VPN network. This basically makes the computer a secured endpoint on the network and all data (even the FT browsing) goes via the VPN, into the corporate network and then out via their firewall(s). The other configuration is called split-tunneling. In this config the laptop routes some data to the corporate network and some directly out the local internet connection, so the corporate network would see the Outlook traffic, but not the FT traffic. Split-tunneling is less secure, but provides better performance for the laptop user. Which one you have is a function of the configuration your IT department has chosen to implement, though split-tunneling is less common, IME.
Nov 5, 2007, 7:51 am
#21
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There are a lot of variables to deal with here, but I suspect that working on your home computer, at your home, through your own ISP, is when you are/should be safe from monitoring.
Plug into an employer's network port (regardless of where the computer is from), boot up VPN software, etc., and you are using the company's resources, and they can monitor what crosses it.
Plug into an employer's network port (regardless of where the computer is from), boot up VPN software, etc., and you are using the company's resources, and they can monitor what crosses it.
Nov 5, 2007, 8:10 am
#22
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yes, I am interested in the CAN.
I am most concerned with this:
If I am sitting at home on the home computer (or on work laptop that is provided by a client, but not online to their system) and I am looking at competitors' stock quotes or monster.com, or doing other research for marketing purpooses, should I assume THEY (client) can see what I am doing.
I am most concerned with this:
If I am sitting at home on the home computer (or on work laptop that is provided by a client, but not online to their system) and I am looking at competitors' stock quotes or monster.com, or doing other research for marketing purpooses, should I assume THEY (client) can see what I am doing.
As has been mentioned, the ECPA of '86 is usually controlling in these situations.
The safest course of action is never to do anything on a work computer you don't want work to know about at some point.
Nov 7, 2007, 5:20 am
#23
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In a related area..........
Wed Nov 7, 1:25 AM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Whole Foods Market Inc amended its code of business conduct last week to restrict online activities by top officials, according to the company's Web site.
The updated code bans senior Whole Foods executives and directors from posting messages about the company, its competitors or vendors on Internet forums that it doesn't sponsor.
In July, Chief Executive John Mackey apologized to shareholders for posting messages on a Yahoo Inc chat forum under an alias for years. The postings talked up Whole Foods while criticizing rival Wild Oats Markets Inc, which it later bought.
Last month the company affirmed its support for Mackey after completing an internal investigation into his online postings.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Whole Foods Market Inc amended its code of business conduct last week to restrict online activities by top officials, according to the company's Web site.
The updated code bans senior Whole Foods executives and directors from posting messages about the company, its competitors or vendors on Internet forums that it doesn't sponsor.
In July, Chief Executive John Mackey apologized to shareholders for posting messages on a Yahoo Inc chat forum under an alias for years. The postings talked up Whole Foods while criticizing rival Wild Oats Markets Inc, which it later bought.
Last month the company affirmed its support for Mackey after completing an internal investigation into his online postings.
Nov 7, 2007, 5:35 am
#24
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What about ISP's? Can they see what their doing? Even if its encrypted? Actually for that matter, not counting key loggers and what not, if I were to login to my online bank account (with encryption) would my employer be able to see my account details? I never go to sensitive sites (not that kind of sensitive) unless if I'm on my computer on a non-public network.
Nov 7, 2007, 9:34 am
#25
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Then the lighting in your current cave must be very poor.
And I quote from the original post.....(in case you didn't read)
what if I do it with a laptop from work?
Hence my original reply:
The safest answer is that if an outside enterprise (be it an employer, client, free public library connection, whatever) supplies any part of the resources necessary for you to do whatever it is you're doing, they can and likely do monitor it - and in many cases will control it.
And I quote from the original post.....(in case you didn't read)
what if I do it with a laptop from work?
Hence my original reply:
The safest answer is that if an outside enterprise (be it an employer, client, free public library connection, whatever) supplies any part of the resources necessary for you to do whatever it is you're doing, they can and likely do monitor it - and in many cases will control it.
you are right if it's a company issued laptop, he didn't clarify. So please, get over yourself.
Nov 7, 2007, 9:53 am
#26
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I work for a computer forensics and electronic discovery consulting firm. You would not believe how much a company can and will monitor, whether it be actively or passively. If you are using company property at home, it is very easy for them to know what you are doing, even more so once you plug back in to the network via vpn or LAN.
Nov 7, 2007, 10:29 am
#27
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Technically, they can monitor you if you have installed any software from the employer or are using a VPN.
I personally use VMware in such cases. It creates a simulated PC inside your own computer, called virtual machine. All employer-specific or suspicious software goes into the virtual machine. This way, even if the employer is spying, they are only going to see what is going on inside the virtual machine.
I also surf the Web from a virtual machine, so that any worms/malware I might catch would not infect my PC or damage any data.
I personally use VMware in such cases. It creates a simulated PC inside your own computer, called virtual machine. All employer-specific or suspicious software goes into the virtual machine. This way, even if the employer is spying, they are only going to see what is going on inside the virtual machine.
I also surf the Web from a virtual machine, so that any worms/malware I might catch would not infect my PC or damage any data.
Nov 8, 2007, 7:40 pm
#28
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Technically, they can monitor you if you have installed any software from the employer or are using a VPN.
I personally use VMware in such cases. It creates a simulated PC inside your own computer, called virtual machine. All employer-specific or suspicious software goes into the virtual machine. This way, even if the employer is spying, they are only going to see what is going on inside the virtual machine.
I also surf the Web from a virtual machine, so that any worms/malware I might catch would not infect my PC or damage any data.
I personally use VMware in such cases. It creates a simulated PC inside your own computer, called virtual machine. All employer-specific or suspicious software goes into the virtual machine. This way, even if the employer is spying, they are only going to see what is going on inside the virtual machine.
I also surf the Web from a virtual machine, so that any worms/malware I might catch would not infect my PC or damage any data.
I think this is a great idea. Do you think Microsoft Virtual PC would offer the same protection?
Nov 9, 2007, 6:42 am
#29
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Technically, they can monitor you if you have installed any software from the employer or are using a VPN.
I personally use VMware in such cases. It creates a simulated PC inside your own computer, called virtual machine. All employer-specific or suspicious software goes into the virtual machine. This way, even if the employer is spying, they are only going to see what is going on inside the virtual machine.
I also surf the Web from a virtual machine, so that any worms/malware I might catch would not infect my PC or damage any data.
I personally use VMware in such cases. It creates a simulated PC inside your own computer, called virtual machine. All employer-specific or suspicious software goes into the virtual machine. This way, even if the employer is spying, they are only going to see what is going on inside the virtual machine.
I also surf the Web from a virtual machine, so that any worms/malware I might catch would not infect my PC or damage any data.
can they read key strokes even with this?
does emailing with yahoo or hotmail provide any protection (can they "see" what you have written?
technically, not legally, can they "read" a disc on key that is plugged in, or just read the files that are used? if you plugged in a disc, then sent a file by yahoo, could they see the contents and details?
Nov 9, 2007, 8:45 am
#30
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You just need to be careful how much access to your system you give to the virtual machine. For example, if you allow the virtual machine to read your entire hard disk, then any spyware running inside it would obviously be able to read your files. I just set up a folder accessible by the virtual machine that I use to move files to and from it.
Also I set up my Internet router so that only the virtual machine is allowed to freely access the Internet. This way, even if I catch some spyware on my "real" PC, it would be unable to phone home.