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sfogliatelle
We Is Whut We Am
Premium
join:2002-05-29
Orlando, FL
|  do company servers know where you've been?
I have and use a number of programs/utilities on a regular basis to remove most all digital detritus which accumulates with ordinary browsing.
Not that I visit unsavory or questionable sites (I don't; really), but there are a few which may not be classified as 'work related'.
Even though I take the sanitizing steps I do, am I deluding my self by presuming that the boss can't determine where I've been?
My question is: short of server sabotage (and abstinence towards my fave links), what can I do to either minimize or mask my browsing? | |
|  
no_one
@QWEST.NET | Re: do company servers know where you've been? Without your sabotage most likely nothing. If the server/ internet connection is setup correctly you are tracked. The tracking is not done by your computer so you could destroy your desktop and the record will still exist. | |
| 
nwrickert
sand groper
Premium,MVM
join:2004-09-04
Geneva, IL
 ·AT&T U-Verse
 ·AT&T Midwest
| Even though I take the sanitizing steps I do, am I deluding my self by presuming that the boss can't determine where I've been? I can tell which users have been visiting porn sites, by checking the DNS query logs. Similarly, I can tell which users have been visiting anti-war sites.
I don't actually bother to do that. But the information is all there in the DNS query logs (assuming the DNS server is set to log queries).
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AT&T dsl; Westell 327w modem/router; openSuSE 11.0; firefox 3.0.1 | |
| | dave
Premium,MVM
join:2000-05-04
not in ohio
·Verizon Online DSL
·Verizon FIOS
| said by sfogliatelle  :Even though I take the sanitizing steps I do, am I deluding my self by presuming that the boss can't determine where I've been? Yes. Every piece of equipment your bits pass through on their way out of the building is potentially in a position to log what you do. | |
| | Kiwi
Premium
join:2003-05-26
USA
 ·Comcast
·Aristotle Internet
| Re: do company servers know where you've been? said by dave :said by sfogliatelle :Even though I take the sanitizing steps I do, am I deluding my self by presuming that the boss can't determine where I've been? Yes. Every piece of equipment your bits pass through on their way out of the building is potentially in a position to log what you do. I'll back that up, on the whole reasonable use is acceptable and it should not haunt you. People sometimes find an unfiltered site and get out, the time stamp also reflects that lack of interest.
If you have workable 'Tools' and not an Admin, it's probably a poorly managed network. | |
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sfogliatelle
We Is Whut We Am
Premium
join:2002-05-29
Orlando, FL
| Re: do company servers know where you've been? The tool I mainly use is CrapCleaner, and not for covering my tracks. Compared to what Windows offers, it's light years faster and more efficient. There are more than a few cookies I choose to save with it.
At work I do run as an Admin; installing, uninstalling, etc.
Unlike the network I'm on when I perform Reserve duty (government network: lotsa no-nos there), I get no warnings nor alerts if I attempt to navigate on to potentially questionable sites. Which is just fine with me, as I've read too many horror stories on this forum here of what an unthinking, errant click can do. | |
| 
Kilroy
Premium,MVM
join:2002-11-21
Ann Arbor, MI | If you go through a proxy server that requires authorization they know every dirty little secret, if they care to look.
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When will the people realize that with DRM they aren't purchasing anything? | |
| 
Link Logger
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-29
Calgary, AB
·Shaw
| Does your company have an Acceptable Use Policy as it is possible every site your system goes to is logged (even Link Logger can do that).
My favorite AUP story was one company I was helping out had a very well written policy that every employee agreed and signed, but one day I was walking down the hall when I looked in one of the developers office there was some major hard core porn on his screen, so I asked him if that perhaps violated the AUP, and he said no, so I asked him to explain and he said it was his on his personal laptop and he was using an open wireless network connection from the apartment building next to our building so he was totally outside the agreement (he had even reconfigure that open wireless connection so he could use P2P software with it). Some people seem to have a hard time grasping the concept of a work environment, so the AUP was amended to handle use of personal or 'borrowed/stolen' hardware and network facilities within the company office (what you do on your time with your personal equipment and network connection is your business as long as it doesn't impact your job or work performance).
Blake
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Vendor: Author of Link Logger which is a traffic analysis and firewall logging tool | |
| 
angelique
Premium
join:2004-03-09
Alhambra, CA
| I'm not in IT at the company I work for but I do know they monitor all traffic and actually prohibit access to certain sites. If you access a prohibited site (porn sites, video such as you tube, game sites) a message is displayed on your monitor with user name and internal IP address giving the reason for blocking you from the site. So yes, as previous posters have said, if setup correctly the company knows. We're not even allowed to use Firefox because of security flaws. | |
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sfogliatelle
We Is Whut We Am
Premium
join:2002-05-29
Orlando, FL
| Re: do company servers know where you've been? So far, there's not been a single mention made of the non-work related sites I go to. Heck, for all I know, the boss doesn't have the tech savvy to read the server log files.
And besides, I'd put my computer up against any other in the building for running lean, mean and clean. Being a frequent reader of the forums here has taught me more than a thing or two about 'puter security and housekeeping. | |
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Matt
Take me down to the paradise city
Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
·North State Commun..
| Re: do company servers know where you've been? said by sfogliatelle :So far, there's not been a single mention made of the non-work related sites I go to. They probably don't have a reason to check the logs for your traffic yet, but if it's government related, I can almost guarantee they have requirements to keep records for 3+ years. I was involved with state government many years ago and even then, we had requirements. We had to bust a guy for child porn (from a work computer no less, what a brainiac) and we had a record of everything he did. We reconstructed what NNTP groups he visited, the subject of most of his email/NNTP postings, as well as what web sites he visited. It was labor intensive, but this was also 1999. There are tool that AUTOMATE all this now ... for free. (Wireshark anyone?)
It doesn't matter what you do on the client computer to cover your tracks. They know that IP Address zzz.zzz.zzz.zzz was assigned to computer ABCD on date 1/1/2008 and on date 1/1/2008 computer ABCD visited sites XYZ.
The worst part is, even if you visit www.funnystuff.com and they advertise for www.pornsite.com, it could look like you visited www.pornsite.com if advertisements are served from the www.pornsite.com webserver.
Bottom line, if you're not prepared to justify the sites you visit (you're not going to get fired for visiting cnn.com, but you may for www.funnyjokes.com) or are not prepared to lose your job for visiting such sites, don't.
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Linux Haters Unite! | |
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MeanPeepsSuk
Premium
join:2004-11-21
Muddy Field
clubs:
1 edit | said by sfogliatelle :So far, there's not been a single mention made of the non-work related sites I go to. Heck, for all I know, the boss doesn't have the tech savvy to read the server log files. Don't let the fact that nothing seems blocked, and no one has said anything lull you into a false sense of security. Everything going out of that wire on their network is being logged.
Some management take the approach of allowing a small amount of transgressions (provided it's not network impacting). Kind of like the line between too many personal calls at work. Many do actively monitor and are aware, but won't say anything unless you get out of hand. Some just do spot checks. Even the ones that don't actively monitor, can and will review your history should you be put on the radar.
I've seen varied ways management views and ways to handle this. While you'd hope they would say something if they had issue (and many do), I've seen others who treat it all as a way of giving their employees enough rope to hang themselves.
Then there is the other class I've seen.... The ones who stores it all up, fully aware and says nothing.. but keeps it on file if they ever need it for a legal excuse for an action not in your favor (up to termination). I've seen some who will pull out stuff from years ago for this very purpose.
Your particular employer might not be watching or care. Just be aware that this goes on.
edit: fixed missing word | |
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CKizer
Raptus Regaliter
Premium
join:2003-01-29
Tijeras, NM
| Re: do company servers know where you've been? said by MeanPeepsSuk :Don't let the fact that nothing seems blocked, and no one has said anything lull you into a false sense of security. Everything going out of that wire on their network is being logged. Some management take the approach of allowing a small amount of transgressions (provided it's not network impacting). Kind of like the line between too many personal calls at work. Many do actively monitor and are aware, but won't say anything unless you get out of hand. Some just do spot checks. Even the ones that don't actively monitor, can and will review your history should you be put on the radar. I've seen varied ways management views and ways to handle this. While you'd hope they would say something if they had issue (and many do), I've seen others who treat it all as a way of giving their employees enough rope to hang themselves. Then there is the other class I've seen.... The ones who stores it all up, fully aware and says nothing.. but keeps it on file if they ever need it for a legal excuse for an action not in your favor (up to termination). I've seen some who will pull out stuff from years ago for this very purpose. This is EXACTLY how it is done!
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| 
DracoFelis
Premium
join:2003-06-15
| said by sfogliatelle :Even though I take the sanitizing steps I do, am I deluding my self by presuming that the boss can't determine where I've been? Yes, you are deluding yourself.
Assuming normal business level networking equipment, they can monitor/log as much of the traffic as they want to. And it doesn't matter how much you "clean" your PC, as the easiest place to monitor such traffic is at the network level (which you presumably don't control, even if you "control" your own work PC).
Now I'm not saying you are being monitored in this way, just that you easily could be.
NOTE: Another user mentioned that every site you visit (even if you only visit that site by IP address, and don't do a DNS lookup) can be monitored if your company uses an internet "proxy". However, while that might make the monitoring slightly easier, its not really necessary for their to be a "proxy" for you to be monitored, as a LOT of business level networking equipment has good "logging" abilities. As just one example of this, most companies are connected to the internet by one or more routers, and many routers have the ability to log date/time, and both internet addresses (for every single packet going over that router link). And while that might not technically tell a company it was you, they will know that on such and such a time your PC (identified by IP address) visited a specific location on the internet (and what that location was). And again, this is being done at the NETWORK LEVEL, so any "cleaning up of the PC" won't erase the evidence.
said by sfogliatelle :My question is: short of server sabotage (and abstinence towards my fave links), what can I do to either minimize or mask my browsing? I suppose you could use a VPN to some other server not under the company's control. By doing that, you are encrypting your traffic, so they can't sniff the details.
OTOH that might not help you much, as their network logs will still be able to tell (possibly very easily) that you are setting up a VPN to a non-work server, and (while the VPN will mask the actual traffic contents) network monitoring can even tell approximately how much traffic is going over that VPN link (they presumably didn't "authorize" you to make).
Bottom line, the people that control the network can easily watch what goes over those network links. And if you are using your network link to violate the rules of your job, they are within their rights to use that evidence against you (as justification for firing you, for example). I'm not saying they will use this info against you (or even that they are monitoring things that much, as such things vary a lot between companies), just that they can easily do this level of internet monitoring if they wish. | |
| 
norky
Premium
join:2002-12-02
Lithia, FL | A good sysadmin will not only know where you've been, he'll know what you've been running to hide where you've been. | |
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avd706
insert annoying animated gif here
Premium
join:2003-02-06
Union, NJ | No only that, but the logs can be kept forever, so if you bring attention to yourself,they can research what you have been doing.
The best defense against corporate logging is a small laptop and a evdo card (in someone else's name) | |
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Maccawolf
Premium
join:2001-02-20
Hillsdale, NJ
| Let's take this one step further. I'll start by saying that I go NOWHERE that impacts my job, or hinders my performance at work, I don't do anything illegal, I just don't need others snooping.
I use a flash drive and FF rather than IE which my company provides. They can still monitor that, right?
--
Mom and Crockett...... I miss you both! | |
| | 
MacGyver
Bell Sucks
Premium,ExMod 2003-05
join:2001-10-14
Orleans, ON | Re: do company servers know where you've been? Yes. | |
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Matt
Take me down to the paradise city
Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
·North State Commun..
| said by Maccawolf :Let's take this one step further. I'll start by saying that I go NOWHERE that impacts my job, or hinders my performance at work, I don't do anything illegal, I just don't need others snooping. I use a flash drive and FF rather than IE which my company provides. They can still monitor that, right? Just as easily. And if Firefox isn't an approved application, you just gave the sysadmin a VERY easy way to filter the logs. I'm sure your sysadmin will smile when he realizes that. 
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Linux Haters Unite! | |
| 
caffeinator
Coming soon to a cup near you..
Premium
join:2005-01-16
Spokane, WA
·WebBand
1 edit | Why is this a topic?
He's doing stuff he knows he should not be doing on COMPANY time. He just wants an out.
Welcome to why the rest of the G8 world is kicking our corporate asses, if not buying it outright from under us.
We have no work ethic anymore.
End of story.
And, OP, if you think you are smarter than the sysAd's..try doing their job for a day.
G'Day and GL, keep that resume polished.
-CaFF
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My 9/11 Tribute..online since 9/14/01
Need an Avatar? Check out Wafen's Avatar Pages | |
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sfogliatelle
We Is Whut We Am
Premium
join:2002-05-29
Orlando, FL | Re: do company servers know where you've been? Well, it looks like I've been exposed for the subversive I am. You're right. I'm the reason why this country is in the sad shape it's in.
Take a chill pill, dude. Way too much coffee for you! | |
| 
JohnInSJ
Premium
join:2003-09-22
San Jose, CA
·Comcast
| Yes, the company knows where you've been - as others have pointed out, that information isn't on your PC, it's on the gateway, the proxy, etc.
I know where my kid's been on the internets. Its not rocket science. And no, there's no way for the kid to bypass the proxy/gateway with its logs (and filters) short of not using the internet connection @ the house. It took me all of 5 minutes to set it up, it takes no time at all to read the daily email list of top sites visited ranked by time/bytes transferred/number of visits.
Don't waste your time covering your tracks. Either just surf as desired and damn the torpedoes, use a coworker's computer (:p) or don't do it. But you probably waste more time covering your tracks the the odd peek now and then at a non-work-related site.
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My place : »www.schettino.us | |
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sfogliatelle
We Is Whut We Am
Premium
join:2002-05-29
Orlando, FL
| Re: do company servers know where you've been? said by JohnInSJ :Yes, the company knows where you've been - as others have pointed out, that information isn't on your PC, it's on the gateway, the proxy, etc. Don't waste your time covering your tracks. Either just surf as desired and damn the torpedoes, use a coworker's computer (:p) or don't do it. But you probably waste more time covering your tracks the the odd peek now and then at a non-work-related site. | |
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sfogliatelle
We Is Whut We Am
Premium
join:2002-05-29
Orlando, FL
| Re: do company servers know where you've been? It's not that I'm attempting to cover my tracks. It's just plain maintenance and housekeeping. I've seen many a computer where performance has ground to a virtual halt due to stuff not getting cleaned out (temp files, old restore points, lack of defragging).
Sorry, [JohnInSJ], I still haven't gotten the hang of the new 'qreply' feature here. | |
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MeanPeepsSuk
Premium
join:2004-11-21
Muddy Field
clubs:
| Re: do company servers know where you've been? said by sfogliatelle :It's not that I'm attempting to cover my tracks. It's just plain maintenance and housekeeping. I've seen many a computer where performance has ground to a virtual halt due to stuff not getting cleaned out (temp files, old restore points, lack of defragging). You know, it's kinda too late for an alibi now.
j/k | |
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sfogliatelle
We Is Whut We Am
Premium
join:2002-05-29
Orlando, FL
| Re: do company servers know where you've been?
brak bark woof woof anonymity |
Yeah. Well, at least here my true identity is preserved. | |
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EGeezer
Go Bobcats
Premium
join:2002-08-04
Country! | Re: True identity Just don't put up a webcam and clean yourself in front of it.
And get off my leg!!!!  | |
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sfogliatelle
We Is Whut We Am
Premium
join:2002-05-29
Orlando, FL
| Re: True identity said by EGeezer :Just don't put up a webcam and clean yourself in front of it. And get off my leg!!!! Admit it; you're just jealous 'cause I can lick my privates and you can't! | |
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scelli
Native New Yorker
Premium
join:1999-08-07
USA
| said by sfogliatelle :It's not that I'm attempting to cover my tracks. It's just plain maintenance and housekeeping. I've seen many a computer where performance has ground to a virtual halt due to stuff not getting cleaned out (temp files, old restore points, lack of defragging). The above might very well be true. However, you must admit the comment below (in bold italics) copied directly from your initial posting invokes thoughts of a person more concerned about trying to cover his or her tracks rather than somebody interested in maintaining a lean, mean computer machine:
My question is: short of server sabotage (and abstinence towards my fave links), what can I do to either minimize or mask my browsing?
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The maximum effective range of an excuse is ZERO meters! | |
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sfogliatelle
We Is Whut We Am
Premium
join:2002-05-29
Orlando, FL
| Re: do company servers know where you've been? said by scelli : However, you must admit the comment below (in bold italics) copied directly from your initial posting invokes thoughts of a person more concerned about trying to cover his or her tracks rather than somebody interested in maintaining a lean, mean computer machine: My question is: short of server sabotage (and abstinence towards my fave links), what can I do to either minimize or mask my browsing? Yeah, I can understand where a statement like that can be interpreted as someone who's got something they'd rather not have others know about or shine an unnecessary light on to investigate.
While it's certainly no defense, it's a safe bet I'm not the only employee out there who has a few favorite diversionary sites they like to visit from time to time. | |
| | | | | | Kiwi
Premium
join:2003-05-26
USA
·Comcast
·Aristotle Internet
| Re: do company servers know where you've been? said by sfogliatelle :said by scelli : However, you must admit the comment below (in bold italics) copied directly from your initial posting invokes thoughts of a person more concerned about trying to cover his or her tracks rather than somebody interested in maintaining a lean, mean computer machine: My question is: short of server sabotage (and abstinence towards my fave links), what can I do to either minimize or mask my browsing? Yeah, I can understand where a statement like that can be interpreted as someone who's got something they'd rather not have others know about or shine an unnecessary light on to investigate. While it's certainly no defense, it's a safe bet I'm not the only employee out there who has a few favorite diversionary sites they like to visit from time to time. No you are not, I'm beginning to see the picture, but Admin Rights verse a Network Admin are two different animals. I can't see anybody objecting to reasonable use, if it's reasonable why worry? | |
| | | | | | | | dave
Premium,MVM
join:2000-05-04
not in ohio | At this point, I'd like to take a moment to say 'Hi' to all the people watching in our corporate IT department.
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Hi, guys. How's it going?
Did I ever tell you I think you're all swell fellows? | |
| Kearnstd
Elf Wizard
Premium
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ | i always imagine that im being tracked, that said at work i come here and goto some game related sites(that arent websensed). oddly enough we dont have Youtube blocked.
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[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports | |
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Maccawolf
Premium
join:2001-02-20
Hillsdale, NJ
1 edit | Re: do company servers know where you've been? I have yet to come across a blocked site at work. (not that I'm trying to find them...)
A friend of mine is blocked from fatwallet.COM, but can get on to fatwallet.NET.....
He's in the military, that should explain a lot...
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Mom and Crockett...... I miss you both! | |
|
GDJ Service
@loki2.com
| As a rule of thumb all activity on the web is recorded, sometimes more than once. Google keeps its records for 10 years.
If you want to surf without any trace then you have to have a good proxy system. But if you browse with your local browser and a proxy it is the same you still can be traced and logged.
Never use free proxy's as you don't know who is sitting on the exit.
Go to
»www.yourprivacy.tk
They might have a solution. A portable SSH Tunnel system with Firefox. | |
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CKizer
Raptus Regaliter
Premium
join:2003-01-29
Tijeras, NM
| Re: do company servers know where you've been? ^ totally useless when the workstations themselves are monitored. 
»www.spector360.com/
Oh yeah, tampering with, including removing, disabling, or blocking the monitoring software is grounds for immediate termination. 
--
Crunching for Help Defeat Cancer and FightAIDS@Home at the World Community Grid. | |
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