As an extremely precaution person, I’m kinda surprise how many people doesn’t understand their own office IT protocols until perhaps it’s too late. Maybe they are aware but derived the mentality of ‘it can’t happen to me’. If you don’t know what I am talking about, perhaps it’s time to dig up the employee handbook of yours and blow off the dust on the top, turn to the chapter that says IT Protocols. And if you so happen to work in a company who doesn’t really inform their employees, here are some of the facts you should know or already know before you find yourself out of job, or worse, in legal hot waters.
IT can read your Emails
Yes, the IT department can and will read your emails. They probably use a tracking software that picks up sensitive keywords and flag out those emails that deem suspicious. Even if your company uses yahoo.com or gmail.com or any of the web servers, it might be set up to reroute through your company’s IT security after it route in or out the web provider’s server.
What does this mean for you?
Keep the flirting with your secretary out of emails, don’t send a personal email to your boyfriend using the company’s email, don’t use your company’s email to sign up for any lucky draws or contact form. Your IT doesn’t need to know that you are cheating on your wife, had the best sex last night with your boyfriend and applied membership to AshleyMadison.com. Seriously, keep it down!
Track Your Activity
Yup, your IT geek can track every of your activity as long as you are using the corporate laptop.
What does this mean for you?
Meaning your bank transfer, you serving Youtube for those simply cute cat videos in the morning before your meeting with the boss and going to Match.com to find your one true love during your break time will be tracked unless you are not on your company’s computer and wifi.
Downloads
If just purely surfing can be tracked, downloads are definitely on a high alert with the folks in IT department. They are able to program the company’s server to detect downloads that is not within the company’s intranet.
What does this mean for you?
We are adults here and I’m taking that you are aware that copyrighted movies and drama serials downloads are a big no no. Even if you purchase over iTunes, chances are you are already infringing company’s policy by using their property, their time and their internet bandwidth. Even when you download innocent Adobe PDF to read what your client attached in an email to you, it’s wrong as well. Most software out there, caters to consumers free of charge however on a company’s premises, it is considered as corporate and should be purchased as a corporate account from 3rd party companies. Hence, if you go ahead and do so, you are putting your company at risk by opening it to a potential lawsuit.
Streaming
Well, the same goes for streaming videos as the above scenario like kitten video watching on YouTube. You may find it adorable and brightens your day but your IT manager probably will be jumping when the Internet bandwidth has a spike. A lot of folks I know are aware that they should not download any illegal stuff on their company’s laptop but streaming should be harmless, right? Wrong. And I have seen too many people accosted out of the building for streaming porn. Sad but true.
What does this mean for you?
You know those irritating websites that has auto advertisements that pop up and stream on its own? Yep, that’s counted too. Even if it is not your fault, unless you’re doing research for work, you have a clear justification. If not, be prepared to face some tough questions.
Your mobile on company’s wifi
Even if you are bringing your own devise like your mobile phone or iPad, as long as it is hooked up to the company’s wifi, you can be tracked. Sure, the tracking will be minimum as compared to the office computer but any downloads and streaming is likely to be picked up on the company’s radar.
What does this mean for you?
You know you have been downloading movies using torrent on your own devise at home but if you bring it to office and it gets automatically hooked up on the company’s wifi, you get yourself into trouble too. Most torrent clients may pause the downloading or uploading on their app or site when there are no wifi detected, leading you to assume that it is turned off. However, they can and will continue downloading or uploading once they detect the company’s wifi, the moment you enter your office building.
Do they have the right?
Sorry to say this but yes, they do have the right as you are on company’s time, it is the company’s property and the company’s internet. So yes, they reserve the right to take action against you. Most of the companies I know do turn a blind eye however, they won’t hesitant to use it against you if they want to get rid of you.
Keep personal separate
The only thing you can do to protect yourself is to keep everything separated. I know it must sound that I am being super cautious and for a good reason too. Why would I want to risk my job on some stupid action that I could easily avoid by doing it at home instead during working hours?
Do you agree with me? Share your thoughts at the comments below.
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MiddleMe 
People really think that kind of stuff is ok on company time and company equipment!!
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Yes, it’s really shocking and made me speechless sometimes whenever I caught someone surfing NSFW content display for everyone who pass by their desk to see.
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Wow, that is really foolish. You’re at work!!
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I have seen folks got the sack due to that more than my fingers could count. And you’ll think that they have more sense to do it at home…
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Really.
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Sigh…! Some of those are really great coworkers-turn-friends too. 😦
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That is too bad. One bad decision and they are done. That is something that might follow you too.
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This is dangerous!! Thank you for raising awareness about this matter
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You’re most welcome. Spread the word around and make sure none of your colleagues makes the same mistakes.
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I’d never really thought about how closely my computer use could be tracked by my company. Luckily, I don’t think I’ve done anything to get my into trouble (although perhaps I shouldn’t have streamed the complete Lord of the Rings trilogy on my company computer last Thursday).
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Hahaha!! Always cover your tracks but it’s really depend on the competency of your IT department.
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Suddenly I feel relieved. 🙂
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Hahahaha
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I know that they can look up every google search and everything, but I am keep it purely business and nothing personal. There is time after work for it !
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Well said!! Draw a distinct line between work and personal will save you a huge headache.
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Liebe Kelly ja was du schreibst stimmt alles aber da ich jetzt Rentner bin und keine wichtigen Mail verschicke ist es für mich nicht von Bedeutung denn es wurden schon immer Mails abgefischt das ist heute so in der Digitalen Welt ich find deinen Beitrag super denn vielen ist es nicht bewusst was dort passiert auch diese Kommentare werden abgefischt hab einen schönen Montag mit vielen lieben Grüßen Klaus in Freundschaft
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Thank you, Klaus for your kind compliments!! I love that language have no barrier between us.
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If people were confronted with what they do on their computers while procrastinating at work… all of us would freak out (more or less). 😀
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Hahaha!! Oh yes, I believe the IT dept should have a list.
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When I was at my job before I retired, the IT guy and I were good friends…he taught me if I wanted to be on the internet at work and needed to go to a site that I didn’t want the “IT” people to know where I had been with the exception of Porn, somehow they can tell whenever anyone’s been on there, not that I ever was, he told me that….to go to google or yahoo and enter a website from there and it couldn’t be followed…it doesn’t show up in your feed, so to say….so anytime I wanted to go check my personal email or go to Amazon I went through Google and it never showed up…infact I was praised for being one of the employees that kept it all business on the work computer…LOL little did they know on my breaks I was shopping on Amazon…LOL just a little FYI great article and yes they are like the IT guys are like the “big brother” of the company they know anything and everything you have been doing on the companies computer and all emails are readable…….LOL kat
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Haha! Kat, you are well taught about that aspect. I’m sure you do know that there are also software that could be ‘pushed’ through the networks and set up so that the IT guys or the management could remotely watch every click and every words you type even in Docs file without you realizing. In one of the companies I used to work for, I could remotely access any of my staff’s screen and see if they access any website work unrelated to penalize them. It’s scary how technology could monitor everything you do and keep records of anything you did.
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Oh yes, and the software just gets scarier and scarier…so glad I am out of the work force…..LOL
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Hahaha!!
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🌟
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🍀
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Yes – I agree with u and some folks do need to hear this –
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It’s for their benefits. 🙂 so do share this out among your colleagues and let them know the dangers of surfing their own stuff during company’s time.
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This was very informative. I didn’t actually know they can track your own devices if they’re on company WiFi! Thank you 🙂
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Yup. They can!! Glad you enjoy the article. Come back and read some of the previous articles. 🙂
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I definitely will, thank you!
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A very salutary and comprehensive list of ‘don’t and why you shouldn’t’s. I’m retired now but it used to stagger me as to the naivety of people thinking no one was looking at their use of organisational resources. And that’s before you get the sheer irresponsible ones.
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Thank you!!
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Excellent article. With a son that’s an IT guy with a huge law firm I learned one new thing.
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Haha!! I think you might want to show him this article and see if I’m spot on. 🙂
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As you obviously know, technology evolves so rapidly, that he taught me</em) to never stop studying, learning the science! Now a great grandmother, I depend upon him far more than is fair, but I consider it one of the perks of parenting, so that I can focus more upon the art of writing ;D I also feel privileged to meet you, dear Kally.
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These are really good reminders. I was always surprised when co-workers would be upset that IT was monitoring their “private” emails. I suggested that anything they were using that was provided by their company (phones, computers, cell phones) were likely being tracked/monitored and were not at all private. Your advice is always helpful, MiddleMe! Keep up the good work.
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Thank you so much!! Well, you know what they say… Common sense is not common at all. Haha.
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that is true
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Fantastic article. Must read one. Could I share this post?
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Please do share the post! Thank you so much!!
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this is a informative post Kally, thanks for sharing. I am aware of IT and know how to get around it, but I’m not about to use that to my advantage. This is a great reminder.
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Thanks for letting me know you enjoy it.
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Thanks Kally. I really appreciate ur efforts in explain this so neatly and in a very understandable way. This information is very important and many people ignore it. But we much be cautious about using company’s assets and network .
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Thank you for your acknowledgement and compliments!! I’m glad you find the article useful.
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