Spying on users.

[Ajax]

What would you do if managment asked you, as a member of the IT department, to "spy" on a user (key/screen capture, examine email, network traffic etc.)? Aren't there certain rights that a user can expect? How could one cover your own @$$ if the user decides to sue?

[TransformX]

It's illegal. Plain and simple.
If you refuse and keep your mouth shut about it, they still owe you a favor.

[dZeus]

spy an employee of the company? I don't know if that's illegal. I don't think installing hidden cameras inside a company building is illegal either (if done by the company).

[The PIT]

Nope not illegal I don't think as yet.

[TransformX]

AFAIK, reading someone's mail, listening to his conversations etc. are illegal according to the Israeli law.

[Fat Tone]

Depends on where you are in the world.

[TransformX]

I know the phone thing is the same for most of the world

[Ajax]

As far as the phone goes here, as soon as you hear it's a personal call, all monitoring has to stop. But all our phones have a label stating that phones are subject to monitoring at all times.

[Wombat]

Originally posted by TransformX
I know the phone thing is the same for most of the world

Not if it's the company's phone.

In the US, they cannot open postal mail addressed to you. They can monitor your phone, computer, all net traffic, and corporate e-mail.

[Jammrock]

In the USA it's illegal unless Human Resources and the legal department can find just cause to spy or search the files on your system. I know this because our computer forensics team just gave all the techs a run-down on what to do when we find pr0n on people's computers.

Jammrock

[KvHagedorn]

Yeah.. in the US the law doesn't matter unless you have megabucks.. and the megacorps always have more bucks and more lawyers than you do, plus they can fire you for whatever bs they come up with, including having a "bad attitude" (which definitely includes objections to invasion of one's privacy.)

Screw megacorps. I would never work for one.

[KvHagedorn]

Re: Spying on users.

Originally posted by Ajax
What would you do if managment asked you, as a member of the IT department, to "spy" on a user (key/screen capture, examine email, network traffic etc.)? Aren't there certain rights that a user can expect? How could one cover your own @$$ if the user decides to sue?

I'm with TX, but would like the idea from "American Beauty" even better.. blackmail the shit out of them.

[High_Jumbllama]

Depends on the circumstances, I would. Anything of a personal nature gets deleted from any collection of the information I gather unless it is pertinent though I do keep a full backup for a short time. The boss doesn't want personal info anyway. If it's illegal I won't do it in the first place. I've talked him out of a few things but then again my boss does not have pointy hair.

[Wombat]

Originally posted by Jammrock
In the USA it's illegal unless Human Resources and the legal department can find just cause to spy or search the files on your system. I know this because our computer forensics team just gave all the techs a run-down on what to do when we find pr0n on people's computers.

Jammrock

It doesn't take much for "just cause." And that's still separate from e-mail, which they've got full reign over.

[GNEP]

Ignoring the local laws for a second, it depends a lot on your individual ethics.

A friend of mine recently-ish had to search a (company-owned) computer of an employee of a sister company of his.

They suspected him from logs of looking at kiddie porn.

Once my friend had dug a little, it was clear that this guy was not just looking. Striaght to the police.

But my friend was very shaken in two ways: one, from the stuff he had to see; and two, from being put in the position of the one whose decision it was to either send someone (effectively) to prision or not. He could easily have been wrong about what he saw (computers weren't one to one employee in that org, but nearly enough), but nonetheless it was his call to call the police in or not. Not a nice decision to make when you're the one doing it. Sure, it may seem obvious what the "right" thing to do is at the time, but you always wonder if you were right to call it. Respect to those who are in this position all the time.