Company laptop

LegacyUser

Hi there.

I have a small issue. I have got a laptop for my master from one of big 4.

It has 2 logins. one is for me and one is with the company name and I feel kind of uncomfortable.

as they are watching me what I am doing. I do all kind of stuff. doing my assingments, watching movies, downloading material for my assigments and sometimes some kinky stuff as well

I wanted to ask. can they track How I have used the laptop and are there any potential risks.

Thanks.

Procrastastudy

guest 22894 wrote: »

Hi there.

I have a small issue. I have got a laptop for my master from one of big 4.

It has 2 logins. one is for me and one is with the company name and I feel kind of uncomfortable.

as they are watching me what I am doing. I do all kind of stuff. doing my assingments, watching movies, downloading material for my assigments and sometimes some kinky stuff as well

I wanted to ask. can they track How I have used the laptop and are there any potential risks.

Thanks.

Absolutely EVERYTHING you do on a computer is easily retrieved. Even an Apple Mac user could do it.

NEVER do anything on a computer that belongs to some else. I even run an encrypted VM on my home computer for any 'extracurricular' activities I might indulge in that I'm not keen on the wife seeing.

LegacyUser

Procrastastudy wrote: »

Absolutely EVERYTHING you do on a computer is easily retrieved. Even an Apple Mac user could do it.

NEVER do anything on a computer that belongs to some else. I even run an encrypted VM on my home computer for any 'extracurricular' activities I might indulge in that I'm not keen on the wife seeing.

I have this laptop for the whole year (for my master)
Just gonna give it back next august and then will get another for the job.
but Now when I have it at my home for 10 months or so for my personal use (obviously mainly for help in my studies)

I dont think they will be so fussy if I was watching movies on it as well.

being said that I will be more careful to use it but I dont really see a point.

I can understand when I am working there and I have a laptop, its different.

if somebody had any kind of experience to simliar situation.

Nody

A company laptop should ONLY be used for company related activities...

The Big Red Button

I'm sorry, but ... seriously?!

This is the same laptop you'll be using when (if!) you start with the firm in just a few months time.

Of course they'll be keeping an eye on what you're using it for in college - it's their laptop, after all!

Why the f*** would you go looking up porn etc on a work laptop? That's just very, very stupid!

Agent Smith

guest 22894 wrote: »

Hi there.

I have a small issue. I have got a laptop for my master from one of big 4.

It has 2 logins. one is for me and one is with the company name and I feel kind of uncomfortable.

as they are watching me what I am doing. I do all kind of stuff. doing my assingments, watching movies, downloading material for my assigments and sometimes some kinky stuff as well

I wanted to ask. can they track How I have used the laptop and are there any potential risks.

Thanks.

You've just given then the perfect excuse to fire you, if they ever want to,


You used a company Computer to Either pirate Copywrited material, And/or For watching pornography....

skinny90

Agree with the above.id be thinking of excuses just in case.you have to look at it in many ways its their property technically...a lot of porn sites are riddled with viruses/malware.id imagine by using the work log in you would have access to company files systems etc

Procrastastudy

OP is this a wind up. I'm sorry to say this but your English seems suspect and I'm not sure what a master is outside of the legal profession. The Big 4 relates to Finance doesn't it?

I don't discount you're a numerical genius who can speak 5 languages or you're dyslexic so please don't take offence.

Nody

Procrastastudy wrote: »

OP is this a wind up. I'm sorry to say this but your English seems suspect and I'm not sure what a master is outside of the legal profession. The Big 4 relates to Finance doesn't it?
I don't discount you're a numerical genius who can speak 5 languages or you're dyslexic so please don't take offence.

It relates to them yes for auditors and accountants but they have legal staff as well to give advice (I know I've been approached on such topics before, for example VAT legislation changes and what they mean, studies on the implementation of new labour code etc.).

mtjm

guest 22894 wrote: »

Hi there.

I have a small issue. I have got a laptop for my master from one of big 4.

It has 2 logins. one is for me and one is with the company name and I feel kind of uncomfortable.

as they are watching me what I am doing. I do all kind of stuff. doing my assingments, watching movies, downloading material for my assigments and sometimes some kinky stuff as well

I wanted to ask. can they track How I have used the laptop and are there any potential risks.

Thanks.

I would get your own laptop if and when you can afford it so you can go on what ever you want on YOUR laptop,

I've a company phone I do have limited personell contacts on it I don't abuse it or anything like it and bills aren't big either

Nwm2

Nody wrote: »

A company laptop should ONLY be used for company related activities...

Why?

Nwm2

I would say check your company's policy for the use of company-supplied laptops outside of company hours, but in general there is acceptance that not all activities will be company ones. At a guess:

guest 22894 wrote: »

. doing my assingments,

Fine

guest 22894 wrote: »

watching movies

Fine (if it's in your own time and they're legal and not offensive).

guest 22894 wrote: »

downloading material for my assigments

Fine

guest 22894 wrote: »

and sometimes some kinky stuff as well

Dumb

tatli_lokma

Nwm2 wrote: »

Why?

Because a) if you want to use it for non-work related things, you should be mindful that it is not private
and b) most companies - particularly a big 4 firm - will have strict a strict usage policy and anything outside of this could result in dismissal.
If your brother let you use his laptop would to do things on it that a) you didn't want him to know about? or b) which might result in him taking it from you? same logic.

Nwm2

Little Ted wrote: »

Because a) if you want to use it for non-work related things, you should be mindful that it is not private
and b) most companies - particularly a big 4 firm - will have strict a strict usage policy and anything outside of this could result in dismissal.
If your brother let you use his laptop would to do things on it that a) you didn't want him to know about? or b) which might result in him taking it from you? same logic.

All true. But to make a blanket statement that work laptops should ONLY (emphasis in original post) be used for work-related purposes goes too far.

#1 - it may not be against your company's policy, so why not advise checking instead of assuming?
#2 - seriously - do not check the news on rte.ie when you're logged on at home doing some (unpaid) work for the company? You're not going to get fired for that, end of story.
#3 - As regards privacy - don't check your Gmail/facebook on your work laptop even if it is not against your company policy, because of privacy concerns? To each their own, but that's not something I would worry about.

Nody

Nwm2 wrote: »

Why?

For the same reason you'd not call a sex line from the company phone or do pizza delivery in a company car (assuming it's not a pizza company that you work for). The company has given you a tool that is intended to be used in your daily work; it is not given for pleasure or fun and any company I've worked for has a policy to the same effect (and with the companies in mind I'm quite certain they will as well).

Nwm2

Nody wrote: »

For the same reason you'd not call a sex line from the company phone or do pizza delivery in a company car (assuming it's not a pizza company that you work for). The company has given you a tool that is intended to be used in your daily work; it is not given for pleasure or fun and any company I've worked for has a policy to the same effect (and with the companies in mind I'm quite certain they will as well).

Strawmen and nonsense

28064212

Nwm2 wrote: »

Strawmen and nonsense

It's not actually.

• Does every company track all their employees calls on company phones? No.
• Do some? Yes.
• If a company does, could they sack you for using company property for calling a sex line? Yes.

The OP asked:

guest 22894 wrote: »

can they track How I have used the laptop

The answer to that is an emphatic yes.

guest 22894 wrote: »

are there any potential risks..

Yes. They could be fired. The likelihood of that happening is not something that anyone here can answer

Honey-ec

Procrastastudy wrote: »

OP is this a wind up. I'm sorry to say this but your English seems suspect and I'm not sure what a master is outside of the legal profession. The Big 4 relates to Finance doesn't it?

I don't discount you're a numerical genius who can speak 5 languages or you're dyslexic so please don't take offence.

I'm pretty sure he meant that he was given the laptop to do his masters. Not that he's devilling for a master.

Nody

Nwm2 wrote: »

Strawmen and nonsense

I've had IS catch a guy with downloaded porn images on his company laptop harddrive at work; I've myself gone through a years worth of telephone records to see who called were (it's all available in your local PBX or phone company down to the extension making the call at what cost) and similar searches for software, movies and audio tracks on all network connected PCs. Those instances I know personally about so yes you can call it strawman; I call it reality because I've seen it happen and dealt with the outcome of them via the appropiate process (private chat on the side to HR disciplinary process).

Irish_Elect_Eng

Nwm2 wrote: »

Strawmen and nonsense

There are simple reasons for most of the IT rules and wasting company time or dossing is is often the least of them.

Use of a company resource to download, store or play pirated content opens up the company to liability for the offences, not just the user.

Handing out the laptop with porn on it to a different grad next year opens the company up to another type of liability.

A good point was made earlier, that while many companies do not actively track such usage even when the monitoring is automated, the thing that catches most people is the virus checkers. Only a very foolish IT department ignores the warnings from their AV software and the easiest way to reduce risks is to deal with the human behaviors that create the risk.

A old friend of mine, a self professed IT slave of questionable morals, :-) working for a financial services company in Dublin in the early Noughties, had a pretty high tolerance of casual IT policy for most of the year. But just before his performance review he would make a pretty public example of one user, just to prove that he was the guardian of the IT policy and protector of e-security. (Usually sacrificing the person that had asked the most stupid questions or had caused him some grief the previous year, he called it "thinning the herd")

tatli_lokma

Nwm2 wrote: »

All true. But to make a blanket statement that work laptops should ONLY (emphasis in original post) be used for work-related purposes goes too far.

#1 - it may not be against your company's policy, so why not advise checking instead of assuming?

OP doesn't even seem aware of a policy in place - I do wonder if they are trolling - surely they were made aware of the usage policies prior to getting the laptop? I find it highly suspect to think that a big 4 firm gave out a company laptop without a copy of the guidelines for use. Anyway, personally my preference is always, when in doubt do nowt - till you are sure. Until you know for sure what is/is not allowed, err on the side of caution.

Nwm2 wrote: »

#2 - seriously - do not check the news on rte.ie when you're logged on at home doing some (unpaid) work for the company? You're not going to get fired for that, end of story.

OP is not talking about checking out the news, what is is looking at is far from inoccuous. And looking at the news realistically won't get you sacked, but if you have a manager who wants rid of you they could use the company usage policy to find a reason to discipline you as part of managing you out.

Nwm2 wrote: »

#3 - As regards privacy - don't check your Gmail/facebook on your work laptop even if it is not against your company policy, because of privacy concerns? To each their own, but that's not something I would worry about.

Neither would I, because my email etc is fairly bland. I check into boards on my breaks. I am not concerned because a) I am on breaks b) I don't have anything of high privacy content in my hotmail email as a matter of standard practice. But if I were emailing for a new job, I probably wouldn't check my email from work from that point on. At the end of the day any shared computer (and a work computer is always a shared computer as someone else always has access to it) is not private. It is up to you to make a call as to what private details you are ok with sharing with IT. But the fact is, once a PC is shared it is not really ever private.

LegacyUser

I have a laptop and to date I was using it most of times (especially for my personal stuff). I didnt start using company laptop untill recently as It was just lying there. I was thinking to get rid of personal laptop as there is no point of having 2.

I did not get any guidelines but I suppose they expect you to know them (standard practice).
I was just told to keep it in good condition as I have to return it in aug/sep.

Thanks everyone for replies seriously.

Cheers.