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This looks like a simple yes or no question, but my answer is maybe. Let me
explain.
First, as an employee, you have absolutely no right to privacy on your company's network.
If your company does not have some sort of formal policy and/or login banner stating that they have
the right to monitor you, they probably should. Most companies have some sort of monitoring
software in place at the Internet gateway. Some will even use software that restirct
what sites you are able to view.
As for online banking, hopefully it is done via SSL-protected Web pages. If so, the
communications between your computer and the bank's computer are encrypted. If your
company only has basic monitoring programs, then anything sent SSL cannot be read
by admin staff. However, there are products, such as
NetIntercept that can even decrypt SSL communications. Thus, even your "secure" transactions
may not be secure.
Your admins can also install keystroke monitors on your own machine, that in all
likelihood, you will not be able to detect or remove.
So, the bottom line is that regular users on your network should not be able to
see your banking transactions, but if your admin staff really wants to see what you
are doing, they can. The good news for you is that most admins will not go to those
lengths unless they suspect you are doing something illegal or against company policy.
They are generally far too busy to monitor each individual that closely.
As a final point, more reasonable companies have policies that permit a certain amount
of personal use of the Internet, on the theory that it is no different than making a personal
phone call. You should definitely know what the policy is for your company.
For more information on this topic, visit these other SearchSecurity.com resources:
Best Web Links: Security Policy and Infrastructure
Best Web Links: Employer/Employee Privacy Issues
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