Playing IT Big Brother: when is employee monitoring warranted?
Of more concern is the possibility that a user will use enterprise property to download viruses, transmit sensitive company information, or use enterprise property to break the law. A recent worst-case scenario involved Societe Generale, one of the largest banks in Europe, and its now-famous French rogue trader who, left virtually unchecked, allegedly lost the bank $7.1 billion. What is an admin to do? The immediate reaction for many admins might be to invest in increasingly smarter employee monitoring technologies that facilitate tight surveillance and control to make sure employees are not using the enterprise’s machines and network to do things they shouldn’t. But how far should monitoring of small to midsized enterprises go? When does it cross the line between employee and company rights? There are no black-and-white answers to these questions. The solution you adopt should take into account your enterprise’s particular needs, user education, and ultimately a common-sense approach
