I need to monitor a work PC covertly!

[gamer16]

I've worked in some of the most secured and cowboy IT environments in South Africa, and not a single time had I found an IT guy interested in live internet traffic unless they have a reason to. Even then it will only be watched sporadically. No IT guy has the time to sit and wonder what you do all day every day.

I'm aware, he doesn't do it of his own accord

 

[R4ziel]

I'm aware, he doesn't do it of his own accord

If he monitors something so actively, he has a super solid reason for it and it is an instruction from top management. If its just for you, I'd be worried, if its for everyone, someone is getting fired soon

 

[gamer16]

If he monitors something so actively, he has a super solid reason for it and it is an instruction from top management. If its just for you, I'd be worried, if its for everyone, someone is getting fired soon

From the top yeah, no its for everyone, you can see when your in his office.

 

[R4ziel]

From the top yeah, no its for everyone, you can see when your in his office.

Then someone is doing something on the internet that is suspicious of caught the attention of management. Either spending too much time on the net or going to sites that is not intended to be browsed at work

 

[Ho3n3r]

Then someone is doing something on the internet that is suspicious of caught the attention of management. Either spending too much time on the net or going to sites that is not intended to be browsed at work

Or it's just management being anal. Not all companies are the same as yours.

 

[R4ziel]

Or it's just management being anal. Not all companies are the same as yours.

Sure, could be just that. I didn't say it was one company I saw this at

 

[gamer16]

Then someone is doing something on the internet that is suspicious of caught the attention of management. Either spending too much time on the net or going to sites that is not intended to be browsed at work

Your Spot on, they mostly have issues with the amount of data people use, the standard cap is around 2gb per user. They seem to be under the impression that the higher a persons usage is the more time they spend on the net and not working. But that logic is flawed obviously, I can refresh Mybb's forum hundreds of times a day and use less data than a couple of minutes of YouTube or so.

 

[reactor_sa]

TightVNC?

Tight arse?

 

[sandwitch]

I mean he literally has everyone's (internet) throughput on a monitor constantly,

On a side note: I'm sure you're working for a company I used to work for. Are you working in an IT company?

One of my old bosses (there were two) kept complaining about the bandwidth everyone kept using and she used to rant and rave about how expensive the internet was and how inefficient and unproductive we all were. During the day she used to randomly pop into people's offices to check what they were doing, what sites they were on, and their browser history. It got so bad she and the other boss eventually started constantly monitoring everyone's computers but her own and the IT department's.

Funnily enough, they couldn't figure out where the bandwidth was going but anytime you went into her office she was on Skype, or YouTube, social media, watching a video, or leaving any of the above running while she went and screamed at someone/s in other offices.

 

[AstroTurf]

https://eblaster.keyloggers.com/review.html

I suggested this, but here is what I do. I use a decent firewall, it monitors traffic for me. I don't need to, I can push a button and see what computer or user is using the most data and what they use it on. Sommer by category (I use the most and most of my usage is categorised as IT).

If I don't like what people are hogging bandwidth on I either block them from using those sites or just limit their bandwidth.

No mess, no fuss, no fights.

The pc you are referring to in my network would end up blacklisted for everything except what it is meant to do. In other words only the necessary domain would be allowed.

If I'm being straightforward I'll block everything else with a straightforward message (denied, stop messing around during work hours) or I'll tell the firewall to just drop the traffic if I feel more prankish.

 

[gamer16]

On a side note: I'm sure you're working for a company I used to work for. Are you working in an IT company?

One of my old bosses (there were two) kept complaining about the bandwidth everyone kept using and she used to rant and rave about how expensive the internet was and how inefficient and unproductive we all were. During the day she used to randomly pop into people's offices to check what they were doing, what sites they were on, and their browser history. It got so bad she and the other boss eventually started constantly monitoring everyone's computers but her own and the IT department's.

Funnily enough, they couldn't figure out where the bandwidth was going but anytime you went into her office she was on Skype, or YouTube, social media, watching a video, or leaving any of the above running while she went and screamed at someone/s in other offices.

Nope not IT, Manufacturing.

It started years ago when the company (+-30 staff on Pc's) had a very crapy and slow 4mb line, people would complain the internet is unusable and they can't do their research or whatever, they then upgraded to 2 100mb lines which kind of solved the issue until everyone started using online services for work and of course people downloading stuff and watching YouTube all at the same time soon caused the network to be slow and unresponsive sometimes.

So the big boss (who does all his work with online services) got pissed because he is paying for the speedy internet yet it's still problematic. First thing they did was add usage caps for each user 2gb per month after which you have no internet, (This wasn't in effect for management and people the boss was fond of,) when this wasn't enough they disciplined those who were abusing the net, and started monitoring usage Live so they can take action when the network becomes saturated.

The issue is 90% of us aren't misusing it, we are just going about daily business and tend to do a lot of stuff online but now we are too scared too. They also won't allow you to use your Mobile data so you don't saturate their network nor will they remove the cap if you can prove your usage was work related.

I basically only visit this forum and google a thing or two, all the files and sheets that I store online I download on my phone and transfer with USB which is incredibly annoying.

 

[PoppieChoffel]

 

[MDKza]

But why? The big question here is is she doing her job or not. If she doesn't train the people discipline her on not doing her job. If you think she has to much free time give her more work. But seriously who cares if she goes on Facebook and google dressmaking if she has some inbetween time and her work is fine.

This^^^^^^^

We have found that companies that enforce browsing restrictions and monitoring have higher staff turnover.
If someone wants to go on Facebook - let them. Most of the time they wont be on there all day.
If you give people a little bit of freedom then you will find they will return the favour with their work ethic.

 

[ArtyLoop]

This^^^^^^^

We have found that companies that enforce browsing restrictions and monitoring have higher staff turnover.
If someone wants to go on Facebook - let them. Most of the time they wont be on there all day.
If you give people a little bit of freedom then you will find they will return the favour with their work ethic.

At work, we don't have restrictions, except for obvious one e.g. smut and sites that could land us in hot water.
One of the idiotic things happening at the moment is BS surrounding the storage of music on the workstation because that ends up in the backup storage, because some users don't save their music in separate locations, you know, the user that uses the Recycle Bin as a storage folder

 

[phaktza]

I suggest you put a notice at the pc to inform users that the company reserves the right to monitor usage of work computers for work purposes. Then try again.

This is a work device, the company has that right regardless.

 

[phaktza]

You still need a sign that states this. How do you think it's going to play off in a CCMA case?
For all they know, you could've been going to those websites on your own to try and constructively dismiss her.

Absolutely not, the employer is well within rights to monitor any usage and communications of an employee without any notice being given. That's legally, of course.

 

[AstroTurf]

Which firewall is that?

Kerio

 

[CamiKaze]

Absolutely not, the employer is well within rights to monitor any usage and communications of an employee without any notice being given. That's legally, of course.

The point is, it might not be in her contract, and it might not be on a sign. So if it was not explicitly stated that she may not do what she is doing in her free time (re the contract or sign) then this case will fall flat on Morty's side and he will be in for a disaster at the CCMA. It must be explicitly stated somewhere.

I couldn't access Youtube from work 2 days ago, I applied for access and I received it. Approved by Management.
Morty can either block some websites, or state what he does not want in his contract... Then again, Incognito mode will hide all user history.

 

[Honey Badger]

Please take a pic of this rogue employee and post it here. We need to determine what kind of span....uhh...punishment would be appropriate based on her appearance.

Multiple angles

 

[eg2505]

At work, we don't have restrictions, except for obvious one e.g. smut and sites that could land us in hot water.
One of the idiotic things happening at the moment is BS surrounding the storage of music on the workstation because that ends up in the backup storage, because some users don't save their music in separate locations, you know, the user that uses the Recycle Bin as a storage folder

same here, we constantly have to check on knows abusers who sit constantly on soccerladuma and youtube.
youtube is blocked, and reddit is blocked, so theres that.

but I agree, if you treat people like adults, they will return the favor with their work performance,

I mean, what next? limiting the amount of toilet paper one can use, per month/visit?