Is Instant Messaging Conversation Confidential At Work?
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Anyway, coming back to the post and the point and that is even though the PODCAST provide good information but that information is mostly basic and may not answer the question for each and every group of people. So, what I am planning is that I'll take up the question and will try to answer them, because the answers to those question will certainly help many and not just the starters in the computers.
So, taking up this week's question : "Is Instant Messaging Conversation Confidential At Work ?"
Well, instant messaging has evolved in recent years and various new methods are used to make it exteremly helpful for the users. Many companies rely on instant messaging too! Now, the question that whether the conversation is logged or not is valid because everyone is concerned about privacy. There are two scenarios in corporate enviornment :
1. Company allows public messengers (like yahoo, aol, msn, skype and so on...)
2. Company doesn't allow public messenger and rather rely's on their own enterprise messaging.
In first case, if the company allows public instant messengers then it is not difficult for them to take the log of the conversations at all. The reason for that is that most of the public instant messengers don't support encryption and thus it becomes relatively easy for the network mangers to take a look at the conversations.
In case of enterprise messaging it become even more easier, because then the servers are with the network managers only and they get to control each and every aspect of the messaging platform. However, these days most of the enterprise messagning systems support encryption because companies don't want to leave any chance of loosing the information and then later regret of not have the confidential information encrypted. Now, this does'nt mean that no one will be able to see the conversation because someone in the network department will certainly have the access to all the chat logs, may be at the higher level.
What are the other ways through which someone can see your conversation ?
There are various security tools in the companies which allow network admins to take a look at the real time screen of any remote computer. So, you are never safe in that case as any network admin can simply take control of your system and can montior your computer screen without letting you know about it.
Various keyloggers and screenshot utilities can also help netowrk admins to take a look at all your keyboard strokes and that is not confined to chat converstaions, your personal passwords are also at stake in that case.
How can one be safe from these keyloggers and monitoring softwares ?
Practically it is impossible to find out which software is installed in the machine which can monitor the keystrokes, it is just that one can either make good relations with network admins (he he he) or one needs to be extremely carefull with their internet usage at work places.
However, if your company is allowing other instant messaging networks then you can use SKYPE because that is the only instant messaging platform which has the encryption of 256 bit. This will leave only the keyboard and screen monitoring softwares.
What Else I Can Do ?
Stop ranting about your Boss and the company! That is the safest way of being safe from those prying eyes :p
Tags:
2 Comments:
commented by Anonymous, 6:42 PM
Well, I am not sure about how many network admins you know but I have contact with some of them and I don't think that it is illegal to use keylogger or monitoring softwares at all..I am talking about the legal activities over here and a company can install these softwares to ensure that employees are not playing with the rules and resources of the company or to a fact...to ensure that they may not be breaking the data protection act.
"How can one be safe from these keyloggers and monitoring softwares ?
Practically it is impossible to find out which software is installed in the machine which can monitor the keystrokes, it is just that one can either make good relations with network admins (he he he) or one needs to be extremely carefull with their internet usage at work places."
I'm sorry, how many Admins do you know that take part in that rather illegal practice?
I have never nor has anyone I have ever worked with.
And IM's can be encrypted using Simp Lite (http://www.secway.fr/us/products/simplite_msn/home.php?PARAM=us,ie) for instance.
Good point about logs, however.