Does Your Company Monitor Internet Usage?

[Jack_Dawson]

In other words, do they know when you surf and where you surf? How is that working out for everyone?

I had a bad dream my company started practicing that shit and I woke up with my heart pounding.

:beer:

[RebelOne]

1. Yes, my company definitely does.

I work for a huge media corporation and all of our computers are monitored from a main server out of state. The company mods know where we are surfing and they can access our computer at anytime to see what is on our monitors. So I guess I am living in your nightmare.

[Jack_Dawson]

2. Wow - You have my sympathies

That is rough.

:beer:

[Blue-Jay]

3. Nah. They don't have time for that shit.

It's a small company anyway.

[malta blue]

4. Yes, and yet here I sit at work...eom

[Serial Mom]

5. Yes as I sit here at work

But the company has only 18 people here in the office

2 are upper management that would never be included in the monitoring

1 is PT (in office only once a week for 1/2 day)

3 are in high level positions that probably are not monitored either

12 left and 2 of those 12 are the WATCHERS!

So 10 of us get monitored and upper mgmt receives a WEEKLY report, determining which of sites we "visit" are personal or business!

I often wonder, when I walk by the WATCHERS and see their monitor, WHO WATCHES THE WATCHERS?

But why is taking a peek at something on the net for a few minutes (that causes 40-50 hits to show due to ads and clicking to get to a few forums) any different than those who talk on their cell phones, or any different than those who walk in late and leave early, or utilize a few minutes of company time by whispering to each other?

[asthmaticeog]

6. No, otherwise I would be SO SCREWED.

:silly:

[Kajsa]

7. You bet.

I work for a school district.

They have a monitoring system, Websense.

It filters out anything remotely suspicious.
Sometimes, it's way off- Ebay is filtered out!

[Crabby Appleton]

8. mine does - very strict

I work for a US based multinational manufacturer and they are very strict about non-business related surfing. At my facility, only about 25% of the computer users have Internet access, many sites are blocked at the firewall, and there was one person that got fired - no warnings at all, one strike you're out - who was not visiting obviously questionable (like adult) sites, but was listening to Internet radio - music, not talk shows. The guy was a 6-year employee and had just got promoted so it wasn't a case of looking for an excuse to get rid of them.

If you work at any large company, they probably do although they may not do anything about it. Most firewall software/devices do log access. A large percentage of large companies also monitor email, especially from/to external addresses.

[Jack_Dawson]

11. That is so harsh

You're pretty much living my nightmare. So people get fired for going on cnn.com?

:scared:

[querelle]

9. Oh Yes

I work for the Canadian government. Five years ago I had to fire a guy for using his work account to surf for gay porn. It was really sad because he was three years from retirement. He was also a husband, father, and grandfather. I managed to work out a deal with HR and secured an eary retirement for him. I just couldn't see this man disgraced before his family and co-workers. I know that I haven't resolved his own problems, but at least he didn't have to face his family with this sort of thing. He will have to this on his own one day (I hope). He was very grateful to me and still sends me cards at Christmas, etc.

But I still bad about it for some reason. He violated our "Acceptible Use Policy". But really, who did he hurt?

Q

[Jack_Dawson]

10. But still...

what a dumbass? Why would you visit porn of any kind at work? That's for the home. Sounds like you handled it with sensitivity though, which is entirely appropriate.

JD

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

12. (Takes cursory look at gateway machine's configuration) ...no.

If so, they'd have Squid or something installed.

Then again, I have root access therein.

[Jack_Dawson]

15. What does that mean

root access therein? :shrug:

[maveric56]

13. I hope not because I'm "net loafing", as we speak.

I keep DU up but minimized while I work, where I periodically bring it up and peruse.

[Xipe Totec]

14. Lord knows they try...

But with a bunch of hackers, computer weenies and EEs working for them, good luck!

:evilgrin:

[wain]

16. I work for corporate America

I know all email is monitored by keywords. So I stay strictly business in all my email. I know they block specific sites. Not DU. But, I figure logs are kept of internet browsing, so I avoid any remotely sexually suggestive headings or non-PC headings. I restrict my browsing to the lunch hour or non-work hours. I trust no one, especially the type that monitor employees personal communication (seems like one step from a peeping tom). After all, they are paying me for work performed, not for surfing the net.

:)

[Floogeldy]

17. I AM my company.

Therefore, the answer is "yes." ;)

[trackfan]

18. As far as I can tell, almost everybody at our company

spends almost all day playing on the internet.

[Fountain79]

19. I'm a teacher....

we operate under the knowledge that our school e-mail and/or internet habits are subjet for revision. If they are paying for the bandwith and your salary, then they have the right to know where you are going.