Security experts say the file is a major security threat, especially to commercial Internet-hosting providers. Perhaps not so surprisingly, the article was gone when I went to look for it. Workplace surveillance has drastically increased since 1999, when 45.1 percent of companies monitored their employees, the survey says. The number of companies that review employee email has tripled to 38 percent since 1997. Doug Fowler, president of PC monitoring software firm SpectorSoft, says 54 percent sounds too high and suggests that companies might be referring to filters and other ways of blocking sites rather than actual tracking of Internet use.
Employers are concerned that misuse of technology reduces productivity and poses liability threats.
Almost 20 percent of the survey's respondents say they have terminated workers for abusing technology, says the association. Although many workers believe their communications are private, companies are legally able to record and review email messages, phone calls, PC use, and Web surfing that take place on corporate equipment. Today, we'll try a somewhat different approach to the technical material. Instead of having me go over the material, it's up to you as a class to figure out what's going on in these chapters. We'll continue this strategy for the rest of the week.