Hotmail: Not Safe For Work?

silentknight writes "According to MSNBC, web-based e-mail providers such as Yahoo and Hotmail may not be a haven for your private e-mail anymore. At least not while you're at work. SpectorSoft is introducing eBlaster, which aims to "secretly forward all e-mail coming and going through such Web-based accounts to a spy's e-mail". Corporations will most likely argue that, because of sites like Internal Memos, companies need to keep a tighter grip on the information that flows in and out of their companies. But attempting to spying on private e-mail?? In the words of Homer J. Simpson: "Butt out, Buttinsky"."

Comments

blocked at work

[Jucius Maximus]

In the large company where I work, all access to Hotmail, Yahoo, etc is blocked at the firewall. This is because too many lusers kept downloading klez, hybris, (random vbs trojan), etc and executing them.

After this was done, all virus problems on the network dropped from one incident per 2 weeks to maybe 1 incident per 4 months.

As to the privacy issue, the easy solution is to NOT SEND PRIVATE E-MAIL FROM WORK (or at least use GnuPG or PGP!)

Re:blocked at work

[Nomad7674]

Another alternative, when e-mail from work is essential, is to get a wireless device capable of sending e-mail without using the work e-mail system. The Kyocera 6035 Smartphone (and the coming-soon 7135), Palm's i705 Palm.Net service and Earthlink's various wireless services seem like good possibilities.

Of course, a truly persistent person or corporation can find a way to tap into any technology, given time and money.

One word :

[M1000]

http://www.hushmail.com

you missed something

[mattdm]

The 9th amendment -- for some reason, people who want to restrict the rights of US citizens seem to conveniently forget that one. Here it is:

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

There's my right -- and yours --to an adequate standard of health, to be looked after after a life of contributing to society, and yes, to pursue happiness. Oh, and of course, to live like a free human being, not a corporate slave, even when I'm at work.

Examples of privacy at work

[dcollins]

From the article:

...a personal letter through the company mailroom. The contents of such a letter are protected by U.S. mail regulations.

Contrary to the large contingent of "company can do whatever it wants on its property" boosters, there in fact seem to be all kinds of legal protections and privacy expectations established for workers in corporate offices.

The fascist model that says otherwise is not only frightening, it's untrue.

The full quote from the lawyer in the article (in reference to the 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act):

Spyware like that produced by SpectorSoft and competitor WinWhatWhere Corp. has not yet faced a definitive courtroom test. But David Sobel, general counsel of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, equated private Web-based e-mail account with an employee receiving a personal letter through the company mailroom. The contents of such a letter are protected by U.S. mail regulations.
"The question is: Is there a reasonable expectation of privacy? I would argue that if a company.com account is provided to me for company business, I can assume it might be subject to monitoring ... but if I take additional step to set up a Hotmail account that I occasionally access from my desktop at work, I think that could be construed as an expression of an expectation of privacy."