Students are required to undertake an ethical analysis of the benefits and issues associated with surveillance and computer monitoring in a community and/or business context. Students will prepare an...

Employee Surveillance and Computer Monitoring
UNIVERSITY OF BALLARAT
Employee Surveillance and
Computer Monitoring
A research essay submitted to
the faculty of University of Ballarat, Australia
in partial fulfillment of the requirements of
degree of



Employee Surveillance and Computer Monitoring Page 2

Table of Contents
1. Abstract

3
2. Introduction

4
3. What is computer surveillance?

5
4. Workplace Monitoring and Surveillance

6
5. How is employee and computer surveillance done?

9
6. Is the practice of surveillance and computer monitoring appropriate
and should it be governed?

11
7. About the Research Findings

13
8. Conclusion

13
9. Recommendations

14
10. References 15
Employee Surveillance and Computer Monitoring Page 3

Surveillance And Computer Monitoring
Abstract
Global corporations are facing a fast growing liability in terms of use of computer resources by
their employees. In order to calm down the risk of risks involved with misuse of computer and
Internet usage, companies need to enforce IT policies outlining acceptable use of organizational
electronic devices. The paper also discusses the pros and cons of employee surveillance with
inferences from research findings on the subject and throws light on implications of computer
usage policies.
Employee Surveillance and Computer Monitoring Page 4

Introduction
With most of the companies, Internet is the much needed tool to carry out their day-to-day
business. The policies on the usage of Internet have become very common these days.
Companies need policies on various aspects related to employee work ethics and infrastructure
usage. Policies for Internet usage, holidays and leaves, employee benefits or sexual harassment
were quite common. Policies for Internet usage have joined the bunch. A study conducted by
American Management Association and ePolicy Institute found that about 76% of multinational
organizations do monitoring of their employees when it comes to using Web. It also states that
the number of companies which have restricted access to certain types of websites or software
on Web have increased by 27%. These companies have very genuine concerns that lead them
to impose such restrictions on employees, varying from reduced employee productivity to
expensive security breaches. Companies also claim that the advantages of electronic
surveillance are outnumbered by the costs to employees’ privacy and autonomy. But the entire
process of surveillance and monitoring is done in a secret manner; it raises questions on
employee privacy and their rights. This paper presents an introduction to computer monitoring
and employee surveillance and debates on its appropriateness.
Employee Surveillance and Computer Monitoring Page 5

What is computer surveillance?
The term “computer surveillance” refers to the act of performing surveillance of activities being
done on a computer or of the data stored on the various drives of that computer or that data
transferred over the Internet from that computer.
In corporation organizations, computer surveillance and monitoring has become very important
as very often the confidential data, used for business marketing or development purposes, is
sold to other companies in competitions. Many organizations have caught their employees also
selling data to government agencies. In these respects, computer monitoring comes as a strong
tool, a sort of business intelligence device used by organizations to custom-make their products
and services for the specific needs of their customers. Many companies also use computer
monitoring as a tool to store data related their customers to provide them better results. For
example, Google, one of the most popular search engine used across the globe, keeps track of
the search carried by people and their machine’s IP address. It stores this information for a
good amount of 18 months and this activity helps Google to provide its users with targeted
advertising.
Employee Surveillance and Computer Monitoring Page 6

Workplace Monitoring and Surveillance
Companies combine numerous methods of surveillance and monitoring in terms of policies and
technology enforcement with an aim to increase productivity and minimize litigation issues and
many other security risks. These vary from E-mail monitoring, website blocking, partial content
blocking, phone tapping, GPS tracking, restricting social networking etc.
A survey conducted by American Management Association – “2012 Electronic Monitoring &
Surveillance Survey” shows that around one-third of the employees have been fired by
companies for the mis-use of Internet and more than one-fourth have been fired or suspended
for mis-use of E-mail.
The following are the possible areas of concern:
1. Official E-Mail and Internet Use
Nearly 28% of employees have been fired for...