Hello all,
I had a question about internet privacy/security I was hoping someone much more knowledgeable about technology than myself could answer. I know that companies can monitor internet usage and sites visited on company computers and the government seems to be able to do the same on public computers, such as in a library. My question is whether potential employers or for that matter the government itself can legally monitor where a private citizen goes on the web in their own home on their own personal computer? I know this is a Post 9-11 world but still, some realm of privacy would be nice. Thanks.
Your employer can not monitor what you do in your own home on your own equipment using your own connection, unless of course, your employer happens to be your ISP (Internet Service Provider).
The government can monitor all your activity by requesting such from your ISP.
If your home computer is using a company connection or VPN to access the web, then they can monitor everything.
So, if it’s your own equipment and connection, your safe from your employer. In your contract with your internet service provider there is a clause that they will co-operate with law enforcement by providing all account activity upon request.
The law surrounding internet is very new and it’s leaning way towards the law enforcement side. There are very few attorneys that even understand such laws – there is one attorney that I always consult with, see legal reference, and that gives great free advice (yes, free!).
Regards,
Jim.
Thanks for the information. So I suppose that logically means that if your potential employer was the federal government than they can skirt the employee internet monitoring ban; interesting.
They can request anything they want, even local law enforcement – the question is, will the isp give up the information without a court order to review internet history? Or, will the ISP even ask for that?
I think you are safe until you draw attention to yourself.
If you want a secure system. go with open source softwares for AS, AV, buy an external router w/it’s own firewall, pay the $100 for permant absolutely unhackble encryption (ie; PGP, etc.), and boot only from a password protected also encrypted CD-ROM, then always inspect the hard drive for malicious tampering. Then of course, there’s the
‘Cadillac’ version of that, switch to Linux.
Ref. 12:06 AM 7/20/2007 ht tp: //news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6197020.html
Since ‘law’ enforcement is using keyloggers by merely asking AV companies to allow them to bypass AV softwares, do you really believe that since free passes are available, that hackers aren’t capable of getting them as well?
Post 9-11 or not, nearly every single AV company admits allowing free passes "on requests" even though it’s a direct violation of privacy rights (unless accompanied by a signed court order).
From what I could find, only one company (eEye) refuses/refused to break the law and is refuses such nefarious ‘law enforcement’ requests.
It is well known that only eEye Digital Security (their CEO/President) is known to have responded to ‘free pass’ requests by stating ‘AV software customers expect privacy and it is not the AV company’s responsibility to violate their trust, short of court orders’.
Why is it that it seems there is but a single AV company is following the law (i.e.; by upholding our constitutional rights)?
eEye sells Blink Personal for $25, right now it’s free for a year (no ccard needed eoither) which includes antivirus and antispyware features, ref…
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Also, reduce your spam by 75% or more by cleaning out what advertisers and MS don’t want you to, your index.dat files.
Only a few freeware app’s offer that as well as easy installs and safety protocols designed into it (ref. PricavyMantra, etc).