Network monitoring

Hey there everyone. We are in the midst of moving office buildings and I am in charge of the network. We will have about 20 computers on the LAN all connected through a switch (which hasn't been purchased yet).

What I want to do is monitor all activity going on in our corporate office without them knowing about it. We have reason to suspect some of our employees aren't using the work day for working, so we want to start over with our new building and monitor everyone on the LAN.

My question is, should this be a software solution or a hardware solution or both?

I want it to be as user friendly as possible due to the fact the President and VP might want to check on it from time to time as well. Preferably it be something we can monitor from my computer.

If it is software, what is the best package out there? Website monitoring, website filtering and logging, Chat monitoring, email monitoring, key logging etc?

If it is hardware, what switch/ router would you all recommend?

Thank you for any help you can give me. I appreciate it.

Hatz

 

I would recommend hiring someone to stand over each employee's shoulder and watch them constantly. Of course this applies to the President and VP also. While monitoring computer usage they could also monitor phone usage at the same time, a two for one savings. Then you may want to recommend timed bathroom breaks and make sure that everyone is actually eating lunch during their specified lunch time, would not want people doing extracurricular activities with their lunch period. Breaks should probably be spent at the desk since they are probably paid breaks, if they get any at all. This is not directed at you so much as it is against corporate big wigs that feel they have to babysit their employee's. I work for a government and we are restricted responsibly as to where we can go on the internet, but we are not key-logged or spied upon. There is no need for it because they limit what we can do through restrictions. Spying on employee's is a very paranoid, childish, and irrational thing to do IMO. But, in answer to your question I believe you should just set-up network protocols that do not allow the employee's to enter sites with specific keywords, ie. porn, games, etc. It is also possible to limit downloads so that they cannot set-up IM accounts on their computers. As for actually spying on them, I cannot help you there. Sorry for ranting, again it was not directed at you, just at your superiors and all others like them.

 

While I can see where you are coming from, I can also see where my superiors are coming from and I would tend to agree with them. While I put a timer on peoples firefox connection I have seen people with 3+ hours of internet usage when their job does not warrant it. I also see people visiting websites that deal with gambling online. But perhaps they should be allowed to do this, no?

While you call this babysitting and being paranoid, my superiors and myself would call this keeping employees productive and doing what they actually were hired to do....which is WORK!!!

I am sorry you work for a company that monitors you so closely, but maybe they have good reason for it.....not directed at you but others in the past.

So please, can we just stick to the topic and recommend a good program/solution for me instead of getting off on tangents.

Thank you

 

I do not feel that my company monitors me closely, I think that they regulate where I can go on the internet and what I can do without spying on me. If they set-up protocols to stop the action before it starts then the problem is being nipped before it starts. By setting up spyware and keylogging you are invading their privacy (even if on company time) and this will lead to two things; heads will roll which will decrease morale among employee's resulting in lower efficiency, and a general dislike or lack of appreciation for the company which will result in people leaving for other companies. I understand wanting people to work, I fully expect everyone including myself to complete their tasks in a timely manner and with efficiency. Their is no excuse for goofing off at work. 3 hours online without reason to be online is excessive, but you have that person's information and they should be reprimanded. One bad egg does not spoil the bunch. I hope someone comes along that can help you. The protocols idea was all that I could think of, I imagine that it will take specific software to do what you want to do though. Breaks over, back to work.

 

I think opinions need to be left out of this and constructive suggestions given.

The poster isn't asking for what people think is acceptable as a business practice, but instead software to do what he needs.

Stick to the topic people.

 

Apologies for getting off course.

 

http://www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&ai=BmkLn-3TER66CM4ToeraX5OMF7NT7Hoyj5foCk_rABdDiiwEIABABGAEg8YH0BygCMAA4AFDH9NaZ-v____8BYMnelYzQpNwRyAEB2QPYYkIlAGFKZ-ADCA&q=http://www.spectorsoft.com/keylogger.asp%3Frefer%3D12077&sig=AGiWqtwyhBJUpLVvD7FRflXeuRVpfYbfQQ A possible keylogger solution.

 

http://www.spectorsoft.com/spysoftware.asp?refer=12246

possible spying software.