The institution will record the identity of users and computers for all electronic transactions. In addition, the Web site visited often records similar information. Further, when someone using a government network exchanges electronic mail with a person outside the institution's firewalls, gateways or systems, these record both the sender's and the recipient's electronic address. Further, once electronic mail is outside a government's firewalls, gateways or systems, it is not secure from interception or alteration, unless encrypted. Under the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act , the public and authorized individuals may have access to individuals' electronic records, subject to applicable exemptions under those Acts.
Institutions monitor electronic networks in a variety of ways.
For instance, they may analyze statistics relating to the aggregate use of electronic networks, in such a way that they do not analyze individual use. However, if an institution detects a problem in the operation of the network, it will take steps to identify the source of the problem. Identifying the source of the problem could involve analyzing individual use of networks. Once managers have identified the source of the problem, they will take appropriate follow-up action, which may include speaking to the individual, to his or her manager, or to information technology security personnel, depending on the nature of the problem. Informatics personnel are permitted to upgrade software applications and verify hard disk configurations on the hard drives of computers located in the offices of authorized individuals.