Employee Internet Monitoring - Comments Page 1

Quite true,

Rather than monitoring their internet usage, I would install a proxy server at the Gateway & specifically allow only those websites that the employees need access to & block ALL other sites.

Mail can be controlled by an internal mail server via which all outgoing / incoming communication can be monitored.

Also, a bit harsh but I would not allow any attachments to be moved to moved to and fro. If required, I would allow them only after a good virus scan.

Instant messaging between employees can be set up using IP messenger.

Another step though would be to disable / remove all USB ports & CD ROM drives (via Group policy) so that no one can access the internet via another medium like tethering a Cellphone.

But it does require a qualified person with good understanding / knowledge to implement such things.

What else do you need? You come to your workplace to work and not for entertainment.

Ravi.

I would suggest people use FlashCrest iSpy to monitor employees. It was the best solution, for me anyway.

Our store installed CryptaVault and abuse dropped like a stone. And a lot of people got fired, which was good riddence

For a free and somewhat configurable blocking/filtering web-based solution, check out OPENDNS at www.opendns.com.

On the part of the employer, I guess you wouldn't have much of a problem if your monitoring system is doing snapshots of your employee's screens to check on what they're doing, this is something that Time Doctor can do. You can get it on TimeDoctor.com
It would help if you let all employees know about the system installed too so they would know what's expected of them.

We use Work Examiner internet monitoring (http://www.workexaminer.com) tool in the company. Works great to capture web abuses, time wastes, etc..

At my office boss is using ActyMac DutyWatch.
Unfortunately he knews all about our work!
http://www.actymac.com/dutywatch

We too got CryptaVault, but no-one got fired. We just started getting weekly emails from the system (not our managers or HR) about our internet use, which had the effect of making everyone think twice about surfing.

In our company, we decided to monitor internet usage of our employees because we really need to know what they're doing. Because people these days really want to surf in most social networking sites which affects work performances to each of them. We don't want them to waste our their time to slack off.

Nice article! I also think an employee monitoring software is a necessity for companies nowadays. Especially on those employees that work from home. It doesn't only monitor your employees' productivity, but it also makes it easier for accountants to calculate the exact amount of time they've worked on a week/month.
However, there are so many choices of online time tracking tools. You might think they will all be tracking time accurately but sadly, most of them are flawed. So, I suggest, you'd do some research first, read reviews, or even try it out for free (if it's available).
After finding the perfect software for your business, you have to let your staff understand why it is going to be installed. You have let them know that it is just a way to protect the company.

In addition to my post, there's this article that I've recently bumped into that could give you more tips on finding the most suited software for you and your business.
http://www.timedoctor.com/blog/2010/11/16/5-reasons-why-most-time-tracking-software-is-flawed
You might find it interesting.

if i charge my phone with a usb on my employer's computer can they access my phones info and history, or intercept communication while its plugged in. No file transfers took place and my phone is not synced with their computer.

EDITOR'S NOTE: No, they cannot intercept phone calls or text messages. But some phones, when USB connected, will attach the phone's SD card to the computer as a folder. Anything stored there might be accessible to other computers on the same network.

I'll highly recommend lightlogger keylogger(http://hwsuite.com/keylogger), this software work great and easy to use. This Software captures all computer activity including sends messages and posts made on web pages, in emails, and on social networking sites. Keep track of all the web pages your employees visits.

BrowseControl is a great Web Filtering Software for small businesses.

It's so easy to use. You can start blocking websites within minutes of installing the software.

BrowseControl.com