REALITY CHECK
Tracking What
You Do On-Line
You are sitting at the computer in your
office sending an e-mail or visiting a web site that you
wouldn't want anyone to know about.
If you think what you are doing is secure,
and that you have any assurance of privacy, then you need
a reality check.
While employers in a server-based
environment have the ability to monitor e-mail activity
and web sites visited, the capability is growing and
becoming more accessible for use on individual PCs.
Inexpensive software programs now exist
that are being marketed as being able to "record
EVERYTHING your spouse, kids and employees do on the
Internet."
The software automatically takes hundreds
of screen snapshots every hour, much like a surveillance
camera. Based on the marketing material, the software
enables the employer to "see EVERY chat conversation,
EVERY instant message, EVERY e-mail, EVERY web site
visited and EVERY keystroke typed."
In addition, the software purports to
record "HotMail, Yahoo Mail, and other anonymous email
accounts via snapshots."
BTW, I know that you are on the AXI site
right now reading this article...maybe someone else does
as well!
Sometimes association and non-profit
staff, volunteers and other stakeholders lose touch with
the bigger picture because they are so caught up in what
is happening in the trenches. Our intent in offering the
Reality Check feature is to get these individuals to step back and re-think their existing views.
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