Technologies exist today to protect and preserve privacy. These include encryption products like PGP, anonymous remailers, and a variety of security and privacy mechanisms built into commonly-used software. Some of these resources have been attacked at the federal level as dangerous to national and internal security. The real danger is that the world of networked communication will be one in which users can be monitored in their every move. These privacy resources must be protected for the benefit of all.
Many employers have no standing policy on employee privacy.
In the absence of any statement to the contrary, users should assume that they have no privacy in their workplace. From a legal perspective, employees have few privacy rights. Courts have upheld the right of the employer to monitor any and all employee communications over the employer's computer system regardless of implied or explicit statements regarding employee message privacy. To alleviate this situation, the following steps are recommended. Each employer should provide and act on clear policies regarding the privacy implications of the computing resources used in the workplace.