Help against hacker in Network Admin

[protocoder]

Hi Experts

I am in a office environment with a colleague in Network Security group and I am damn annoyed with him as always refers to the content of email I receive and send and also to the content of emails generated from the applications.

Please experts out there can some one help me with some protection mechanism or applications which I cannot install (company policies will not allow me). I need serious help to confront him with a proof that he is snooping which is illegal and taking advantage of being team's position.

Thanks
Protocoder

 

[Blackjack]

It sounds like he is accessing the contents of your company's e-mail servers. Generally speaking, as an employee of an organization you have no expectation of privacy on company-owned assets. As such, you probably don't have any case against him. If you feel he is abusing his position you could potentially take it up with HR, but I don't think it is technically illegal.

On the other hand, if he is using his position as a network admin to monitor and snoop on traffic to your own personal accounts you may have more of a case depending on your country's laws. Still, chances are that because you were accessing your personal accounts on your company network, you waive your expectation of privacy.

Still, if you feel that it is violating your rights as an employee you need to take it directly to your manager and your Human Resources department.

Last Edit: Do not install any software on company property that is not authorized in an attempt to gather evidence against the employee, not only will you likely not be able to get any useful information, you will very likely be in violation of company security policy which is a serious issue. I work in my company's Information Security office and a user installing unauthorized software on a workstation always leads to a serious investigation and the potential for immediate termination. Don't do it, it's not worth it.

 

[toast0]

If this is on your personal accounts, make sure you change your passwords at home, not on company equipment; and you probably shouldn't access them on company equipment again (from a personal device over company wifi may be ok if the client on the phone is using SSL and validates the certificates properly).

If it's the company account, you can check that SSL is enabled, but he can probably access your mailbox directly without snooping on your packets. It's best to treat a company account like everyone in the company will read it.

Also, make sure you don't leave printouts of your mail lying around (just checking). Talking to your manager and/or HR is probably the best way to get this behavior to stop. It may seem tempting to up the ante by sending (or intentionally receiving) even more scandalous emails; it could easily backfire and end up with you in trouble for violating company policy.

 

[/usr/home]

Assholes like that need to be fired. I never go snooping on other people's mailboxes or private folders. The only time I go in them is if there is an issue.

 

[TheToE!]

Yeah, there is an unspoken code of ethics all admins should be held to.

 

[Volume]

Is he snooping on your Exchange emails? That is very easy to do for anyone's mailbox if he has an administrator account. Did you tell him that this isn't acceptable?

 

[TheDingy]

Get who ever is his manager to have the log files reviewed of the mail server, these types of accesses are always logged weather it be exchange or any other type of system.

 

[stiltner]

Yeah, there is an unspoken code of ethics all admins should be held to.

Well. We'd all like to think that I'm sure, and I imagine most of us probably stand by those principles.

But the real world, that isn't so. People with access and determination to exit someone else due to jealousy, hatred, greed, ignorance whatever you want to pick. They exist, and this guy sounds like a douche.

If you're sending personal e-mails through company e-mail account and to personal contacts, then I have to question why.

When I login for work, I consent to the agreement to be monitored completely, phone, PC, VPN activity, web searches, everything if need be. Anything on my PC is subject to discretion by IT staff if necessary.

That's why I built a PC strictly for business uses. It has nothing but the absolute bare minimum that I need to do my job and the tasks that circle around my job, everything else, on my other PC's in a domain structure, the single PC, is workgrouped and not connected.
Basically I CYA

 

[JPF_]

Well. We'd all like to think that I'm sure, and I imagine most of us probably stand by those principles.

But the real world, that isn't so. People with access and determination to exit someone else due to jealousy, hatred, greed, ignorance whatever you want to pick. They exist, and this guy sounds like a douche.

If you're sending personal e-mails through company e-mail account and to personal contacts, then I have to question why.

When I login for work, I consent to the agreement to be monitored completely, phone, PC, VPN activity, web searches, everything if need be. Anything on my PC is subject to discretion by IT staff if necessary.

That's why I built a PC strictly for business uses. It has nothing but the absolute bare minimum that I need to do my job and the tasks that circle around my job, everything else, on my other PC's in a domain structure, the single PC, is workgrouped and not connected.
Basically I CYA

I truly just do not care about the personal info. And I work for a bank. Just have no interest.


Now, if I am remoted into a users machine and they are doing all sorts of secret stuffs.....I do not exactly look away lol. But we also sign insider trading junk and such.....still no interest to me. Sounds to me like OP's guy is paraniod.....maybe about getting fired? So he snoops....


edit: I do not even think people realize how easy IT could get someone fired. c$ into their IP address....drop some pics on their desktop.....I am sure there are logs....but it could easily happen.

 

[Dogs]

Do you know any of the other Network guys? Could you ask them if there are logs kept of when and from where someone accesses an account? Just say you've been having some concerns over the privacy of your email inbox and that you were wondering if they could help verify that you are or aren't the only one accessing your inbox. Don't point any fingers at anybody...Just ask.

 

[k1pp3r]

Yeah, there is an unspoken code of ethics all admins should be held to.

Which is pretty much you do what the CEO tells you to.

Its likely he has been instructed by C level employees to monitor all communications inside and outside of the network.

This can include IM converstations (Gchat, MSN, Skype, etc) email communications, web usage and more.

In short, you know your being watched so watch yourself and don't access personal chat programs or personal webmail on corporate devices, this includes attaching your phone to the wireless network at the office.

 

[Innocence]

edit: I do not even think people realize how easy IT could get someone fired. c$ into their IP address....drop some pics on their desktop.....I am sure there are logs....but it could easily happen.

I'm pretty sure we all realize it, but don't talk about it because that's basically the same as a cop or border control agent discussing the best way to plant drugs on someone.
They know they can do it and ruin your life (or at least your year) just because they don't like your haircut, attitude, accent, or color of skin. It's not discussed because it's an ethically and morally destitute act to even consider.

But to the OP - As has been said, there is absolutely no expectation of privacy on company equipment, other than (usually) a toilet. If you've been acting like you have privacy while on the clock, sorry to burst your bubble - hope you didn't do anything too stupid.
Personally, we monitor incoming and outgoing e-mail on automated filters that include source, destination, quantity and size (content filtering turned off out of lack of interest). We also do Web traffic filtering for source, destination, hits, duration, and volume. Anyone who looks like they might be abusing company resources gets the microscope pulled out and we may investigate content of the e-mail or browsing habits at that time.

 

[calvinj]

Really Guys.. 3 words.. Acceptable Use Policy. Means as a standard employee you have no rights to privacy on the company network. These are company owned machines. Last time I checked via our AUP I have the right to snoop without cause. I don't because I don't have enough time in the day to