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Can my employer track the pages i visit?

  • 06-05-2012 10:37pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 750 ✭✭✭


    Basically i use a laptop in work and use the internet at work for work related purposes only.
    At home time i bring the laptop home and most evenings connect my Vodafone mobile dongle. I could go on boards, facebook, the dailymail/showbiz, dealpage.ie for example. Can my employer track all these pages? I accidentally discovered Google Chrome Incognito and it just made me think...:)


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Comments

  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,827 ✭✭✭christmas2012


    Is it a company laptop?if so they could have installed software watching what you do online..


  • Registered Users Posts: 951 ✭✭✭MiniNukinfuts


    Yup, they could if they wanted.


  • Registered Users Posts: 750 ✭✭✭Pretty Polly


    Is it a company laptop?if so they could have installed software watching what you do online..

    Well its more of a organisation than a company and it is their laptop. Is there any way i could find out if they have installed software? I would normally use my own laptop but its broken. Would Incognito allow me to browse normally without being watched?


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,992 ✭✭✭✭partyatmygaff


    Incognito more than likely won't make any difference if they have a robust monitoring setup.

    Check if your connection is being passed through a proxy. If it is, I can guarantee you it's being monitored.

    Failing that, check for any unusual applications running by opening up the task manager and going to processes.


  • Registered Users Posts: 32,802 ✭✭✭✭NIMAN


    Stop surfing porn now though!!;)


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,007 ✭✭✭Mance Rayder


    yes


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,300 ✭✭✭CiaranC


    I very much doubt your IT department are interested in what you browse on your own time via another network. If they had concerns about this they would lock down your ability to connect to a 3G network in the first place, not allow it and set up some kind of elaborate sting operation to catch you browsing facebook on a company laptop at home.


  • Registered Users Posts: 750 ✭✭✭Pretty Polly


    Incognito more than likely won't make any difference if they have a robust monitoring setup.

    Check if your connection is being passed through a proxy. If it is, I can guarantee you it's being monitored.

    Failing that, check for any unusual applications running by opening up the task manager and going to processes.

    Thanks for the replies guys. Well i've processes open but not sure what i should look out for?
    We don't have an IT department, just the manager, secretary and the rest of the staff:)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,007 ✭✭✭Mance Rayder


    I wouldn't worry about it too much just download free Ccleaner http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download and use it to wipe all private data (Make sure to tick delete browsing history , form data etc for firefox or internet explorer or whatever your using). Just uninstall any programs you installed and ccleaner before you give it back.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,620 ✭✭✭_AVALANCHE_




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  • Registered Users Posts: 750 ✭✭✭Pretty Polly


    I won't be giving it back for a few months. I clear the history, browsing data and cookies every week or so.

    Went through the list of applications in processes and nothing jumped out at me as being odd. Not an expert by any means though.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,827 ✭✭✭christmas2012


    you could hire someone to have a look for 200 quid there advertised usually in the local papers


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,992 ✭✭✭✭partyatmygaff


    you could hire someone to have a look for 200 quid there advertised usually in the local papers
    200 euro to search a computer for monitoring software? :eek:


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,340 ✭✭✭bhickey


    Thanks for the replies guys. Well i've processes open but not sure what i should look out for?
    We don't have an IT department, just the manager, secretary and the rest of the staff:)

    Then I think it'd be reasonable to assume that it's not being monitored. Monitoring would usually be setup by IT staff with too much time on their hands and on the instructions of nosey bosses. Just clean it up and remove any history before you hand it back.


  • Registered Users Posts: 750 ✭✭✭Pretty Polly


    you could hire someone to have a look for 200 quid there advertised usually in the local papers

    Thanks but theres nothing harmful on the computer. I will clear the history as usual. The manager has a masters in IT and I suppose i just wanted to know for certain :)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,969 ✭✭✭✭syklops


    Thanks for the replies guys. Well i've processes open but not sure what i should look out for?
    We don't have an IT department, just the manager, secretary and the rest of the staff:)

    Then I really wouldn't worry. It doesnt sound like they have the resources to be actively monitoring people.
    I accidentally discovered Google Chrome Incognito and it just made me think..

    I'd LOVE to know what sites your visiting in incognito mode...


  • Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 10,987 Mod ✭✭✭✭yoyo


    Is it a company laptop or your own one? If its your own machine surely your boss couldn't require permission to check it? If its a company machine then that is different.
    Also €200 for a virus scan :eek::eek: maybe I'm too young but was that the price in the celtic tiger era :P

    Nick


  • Registered Users Posts: 750 ✭✭✭Pretty Polly


    yoyo wrote: »
    Is it a company laptop or your own one? If its your own machine surely your boss couldn't require permission to check it? If its a company machine then that is different.
    Also €200 for a virus scan :eek::eek: maybe I'm too young but was that the price in the celtic tiger era :P

    Nick

    Its a company laptop, we all have one at work. We take it home in case the place is broken into.

    Skylops and niman see to have active imaginations regarding my internet usage! :rolleyes: Male at all??


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,969 ✭✭✭✭syklops


    Skylops and niman see to have active imaginations regarding my internet usage! :rolleyes: Male at all??

    Very much so.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,620 ✭✭✭_AVALANCHE_


    Safari users watch the most porn.


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  • Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 10,987 Mod ✭✭✭✭yoyo


    Its a company laptop, we all have one at work. We take it home in case the place is broken into.

    Skylops and niman see to have active imaginations regarding my internet usage! :rolleyes: Male at all??

    If its not your machine you are governed under the companies rules, also some companies do install monitoring software on the laptop, so using incognito etc mode would be pointless, you should be aware of its presence though, I think certain versions of Symantec Endpoint is an example

    Nick


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,434 ✭✭✭✭28064212


    There is absolutely no way to guarantee that the company's computer is not tracking what you do. There could be a tracking bug completely independent from the computer attached to the monitor's cable sending everything over the mobile network, and you would never know short of dismantling the laptop and inspecting every single mechanical object

    Boardsie Enhancement Suite - a browser extension to make using post-migration Boards on desktop a better experience (includes full-width display, keyboard shortcuts, and a dark mode setting)



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,600 ✭✭✭Eboggles


    Safari users watch the most porn.

    iPhone users, tsk tsk. :o


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,979 ✭✭✭✭Cuddlesworth


    yoyo wrote: »
    If its not your machine you are governed under the companies rules, also some companies do install monitoring software on the laptop, so using incognito etc mode would be pointless, you should be aware of its presence though, I think certain versions of Symantec Endpoint is an example

    Nick

    Proper monitoring software costs a fortune. As said before, there are sweet f all company's monitoring your home internet usage. And if they did, they will be upfront and blatantly honest about it, otherwise they would have to fire a large percentage of their staff after implementing it.
    28064212 wrote: »
    There is absolutely no way to guarantee that the company's computer is not tracking what you do. There could be a tracking bug completely independent from the computer attached to the monitor's cable sending everything over the mobile network, and you would never know short of dismantling the laptop and inspecting every single mechanical object

    While we are heading down the crazy route, they could have drugged your food and implanted a small camera in your eye while passed out, sending signals over a secret satellite network so that your company can accurately figure out how much time you spend playing iphone games on the toilet.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,434 ✭✭✭✭28064212


    While we are heading down the crazy route, they could have drugged your food and implanted a small camera in your eye while passed out, sending signals over a secret satellite network so that your company can accurately figure out how much time you spend playing iphone games on the toilet.
    ...no, they couldn't. And if you think that scenario is comparable to a company tracking a machine which they have full access to and can do anything they want to it, you missed the point

    Boardsie Enhancement Suite - a browser extension to make using post-migration Boards on desktop a better experience (includes full-width display, keyboard shortcuts, and a dark mode setting)



  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,038 ✭✭✭Nothingbetter2d


    Basically i use a laptop in work and use the internet at work for work related purposes only.
    At home time i bring the laptop home and most evenings connect my Vodafone mobile dongle. I could go on boards, facebook, the dailymail/showbiz, dealpage.ie for example. Can my employer track all these pages? I accidentally discovered Google Chrome Incognito and it just made me think...:)

    yes if your browsing through your work's system. the firewall will log all the sites you've been to,

    at home no unless your connected via a vpn in which then it would be yes.

    even if you clear your browser's history the firewall in work will still hold the logs of what sites you've been to.


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,979 ✭✭✭✭Cuddlesworth


    28064212 wrote: »
    ...no, they couldn't. And if you think that scenario is comparable to a company tracking a machine which they have full access to and can do anything they want to it, you missed the point

    I think you missed the sarcasm in my post.

    Nobody cares about what you do at home.

    No company wants to track your usage outside of work.

    Your not worth the money, time or effort involved in investing in any tech or software needed to track you.

    99% of company's don't even monitor your usage in work outside of basic proxy stats and filtering alerts.

    If you are ever special enough to warrant it, you will be told of it before hand(DOD contractors for example).


  • Registered Users Posts: 750 ✭✭✭Pretty Polly


    I think you missed the sarcasm in my post.

    Nobody cares about what you do at home.

    No company wants to track your usage outside of work.

    Your not worth the money, time or effort involved in investing in any tech or software needed to track you.

    99% of company's don't even monitor your usage in work outside of basic proxy stats and filtering alerts.

    If you are ever special enough to warrant it, you will be told of it before hand(DOD contractors for example).

    I'll continue as normal until my own laptop is fixed. I can't imagine the boss checking or paying to have software installed on them. If he wants to waste the time doing that, good luck to him. Thanks for the advice:)


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,979 ✭✭✭✭Cuddlesworth


    I'll continue as normal until my own laptop is fixed. I can't imagine the boss checking or paying to have software installed on them. If he wants to waste the time doing that, good luck to him. Thanks for the advice:)

    No problem. There is nothing wrong with a healthy sense of paranoia when dealing with computers in general, but there has to be limits to it.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,300 ✭✭✭CiaranC


    28064212 wrote: »
    ...no, they couldn't. And if you think that scenario is comparable to a company tracking a machine which they have full access to and can do anything they want to it, you missed the point

    Leaving your hacker fantasies aside, in the real world companies have no business interest in doing this.


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