Australian Internet device and software maker Exinda, Inc. has developed a system which allows employers to snoop on the online browsing habits of their employees.
Said Con Nikolouzakis, Director of Exinda, “If you use your office computer for Internet banking and booking theater tickets, you’re fine. If you choose to use it to download illegal software, research personal interests or other non-business uses, then you could be issued with a ‘please explain’ and a bill for the costs of the bandwidth and time you wasted.”
But are you fine if you use your computer for Internet banking or booking theatre tickets? Should you be? What about browsing online dating services? Chat boards?
Should your employer be monitoring your Internet usage? Should they have to?
According to James Turner, an industry analyst with Frost and Sullivan, “Most employees sign an acceptable-Internet-usage policy when they join a new company. After that, there is a level of trust between employer and employee. Companies like Computer Associates already have software that can measure an individual’s bandwidth usage, so the technology isn’t new, and across the market there is not a huge demand.”
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Hunh. Did you sign an acceptable Internet usage policy document with your current employer?
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If you use any of your employers resources for personal use you are liable to compensate the employer for that resource. Paper Clips, Unauthorized use of a vehicle or taking home you chair late one night are all the same and vary only in degree. Compliance, monitoring and valuation is the devil in the detail.
You may find that while not explicitly signing an acceptable use agreement document, your employer may have a policy which you are deemed to be agreeing to by using their network. It’s more likely you have signed one overriding document where you agree in advance to abide by any and all policies the employer sets in place from time to time. Another possibility is that you need to click on an agree button when you login to the computer. What was that – you’ve never read it before clicking?