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Microsoft Lync Server Gathers Employee Data Just Like NSA

Posted by timothy on from the except-they're-not-the-government-and-all dept.

coondoggie writes "Microsoft's Lync communications platform gathers enough readily analyzable data to let corporations spy on their employees like the NSA can on U.S. citizens, and it's based on the same type of information — call details. At Microsoft's Lync 2014 conference, software developer Event Zero detailed just how easy it would be, for instance, to figure out who is dating whom within the company and pinpoint people looking for another job."

5 of 207 comments (clear)

  1. And why should you expect anything different? by halo1982 · · Score: 4, Informative

    If you're instant messaging someone on the company's IM platform on the company's time why the fuck would you have any expectation of any sort of privacy?

    I know my company can see everything I can do when I'm logged on to their computer. This is part of the agreement I signed with them. It's also the reason why I don't do stupid shit on my company's network like look for another job or send out resumes from my company email address.

    Oh wait, the outrage is because it's Microsoft. Got it.

  2. Re:Assume all MS products are spying on you. by dreamchaser · · Score: 5, Informative

    People should assume that with any means of communication they use in the workplace. There is no guarantee and should be no expectation of privacy when using an employer's systems.

  3. Re:Can see how own network, messaging is being use by fluffy99 · · Score: 3, Informative

    We had an email go out saying that people were using Bittorrent from home over the VPN and to please stop since it's illegal and taking up bandwidth.

    You guys need better network admins. Proper firewalling and proxying should block traffic like that.

    Also, I shudder to think of the potential mess caused by allowing personal laptops to VPN in the first place.

  4. Re:today. by bloodhawk · · Score: 3, Informative

    It may be a fear line, but it is also 100% accurate. companies are constantly being sued by there employee's for NOT being vigilant enough in the work place, whether it is sexual harassment, bullying, corruption or workplace safety. Employers have a legal responsibility to demonstrate they are taking steps to prevent and monitor those situations and if they aren't it is a legal bonanza for staff that want to take advantage of it.

  5. It's just CDR records. It's not like it's a secret by Zarhan · · Score: 3, Informative

    Lync stores the info in two databases, LCSCDR and QoEMetrics. The first one has info on all sessions, other one has quality data. It's not like it's some super-secret database, MS has full specs in Technet, for example http://technet.microsoft.com/e... shows what's exactly stored in SessionDetails table.

    Yes, such info *could* be used to do data-mining. Same info could be used to optimize least cost routing, gathering statistics on network performance, planning upgrades, and whatever you like. I've personally crafted a few reports from those DBs on how much folks are calling PSTN from Lync on various customer sites, so they can decide what is the priority in upgrading E1/T1 to VoIP-based PSTN connection.

    It's not a conspiracy. Server admins can look at what kind of stuff you are doing on such servers.