When Big Brother Watches IT

bdking writes "In an effort to protect sensitive data from internal security threats, some organizations are 'using new technology to look at the language of their IT staff's emails to determine whether their behavior or mind-set has changed,' the Wall Street Journal reports. Is secretly spying on and linguistically interpreting employee emails going too far in the name of security? From the article: 'I understand the need to be aware of the attitudes of workers with high-level access to data and networks, but this strikes me as creepy. What if an IT employee suddenly has relationship problems or family issues? Will they then be flagged by HR as potentially troublesome or even a data security risk? And all without them even knowing there's a dossier being created of them and their "suspect" behavior?'"

Comments

Prevention cheaper

[Tablizer]

Wouldn't it just be cheaper to not treat workers like shit?

Re:Prevention cheaper

[Anonymous Coward]

Wouldn't it just be cheaper to not treat workers like shit?

This one's going on the list.

Re:Prevention cheaper

[PopeRatzo]

In this case they are talking about detecting fraud with people who have level access to the books â" think rouge trades and embezzling employers. However, from the article fraud comes from âoeincentive, rationalisation and opportunityâ. You try to hire competent, well paid staff and put in controls. However, eventually you hit limits.

One limit you hit is that mechanisms like you describe and like the ones in this article are never applied to top management and the board of directors. So, the ones who are in the greatest position to hurt the company the most are left out of any security regime.

And if you tried to put such mechanisms in place for the top people, they would all simply refuse, and nobody is there to call them on it, because everyone else at their level has the same attitude. This is one of the biggest dangers of income disparity. When it gets beyond a certain point, the elite "break away" from the social mechanisms and requirements.

Re:Prevention cheaper

[__aaltlg1547]

Those are not only the people in the greatest position to hurt the company, but also those with the greatest incentive not to do so - why hurt a company that is paying you millions of dollars a year? Top management positions aren't that common that one would risk losing one.

This flies in the face of reality. In the real world, some top managers develop such an inflated sense of entitlement that they believe they are worth far more than what they legitimately earn, deserve whatever they can take and that they will never get caught when they break the law.

Who manages it?

[GeneralTurgidson]

If an HR department can install and manage software that interfaces with a companies email without IT knowing about, that company has bigger security concerns. If IT manages it, IT can circumvent it.

Pretty much proves the point

[Anonymous Coward]

What if an IT employee suddenly has relationship problems or family issues?

There's definitely something suspicious going on when IT employees have relationships, nevermind relationship problems.

Creepy but...

[PastBlast]

That's why I never send personal email on the company's system. I also don't keep any personal files on the company supplied computer nor do web browsing on it. It's a hassle sometimes, especially when I need to carry around my personal laptop. And, in reverse, I never do "work" on my personal computers. While I don't think my company is spying on me, I go by that assumption because they can start at any time without my knowledge. It's my way of mitigating that risk. In general, I think it's also a good way to keep my personal life separate from work. I learned that years ago during some stress reduction workshops I participated in.

Re:An old enough industry to require unions

[Zontar The Mindless]

Unions do have their place. An IT shop is not one of them.

You should really try to be more open-minded about such things. Maybe even consider moving to Sweden, where nearly everyone is entitled to union representation whether they bother to join one or not.

When we got bought, and the new owners tried to take away nearly all my benefits, my IT workers' union did a pretty good job of nipping that nonsense in the bud. Maybe I should show my appreciation by signing up and paying them the ~$25 per month they want as dues for actual membership. That's only about 2% of what I would have lost if they'd not gone to bat for me.