Can the IT Dept at my company see my personal emails?

Question

Are they able to see (thru the server) emails that I send and receive via (for example) hotmail. Can they read the emails, and can they see images sent or received as attachments? [Thru standard methods, not hacking]

Answer 1

Yes, they can see anything you do at work if they have the software/time. Whether or not they see it ever or not is debatable. PLUS, the govt can see anything that goes through any server in the united states, without a warrant or suspicion of course. Try to leave out your doomsday plans from emails.

Answer 2

I was of the opinion (read: no verifiable facts) that if you receive an message to your Work email address, then it has been sent to your job's servers and your IT dept can access it at any time.



However, if you are opening emails you received through an outside source (eg, Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail), all your IT dept can do is keep a log of the internet sites that you visited. It does not have a copy of the emails because they were opened but not Downloaded onto the servers.



Now, I may be mistaken. Is there anyone out there with more facts?

Answer 3

As an exchange administrator you can do lots of things. You can log onto someone's account and send an email as that person. You can read the sent items and recieved emails. When I was administering Exchange at my previous company, I only did that one time, with a coworker's account who was sitting next to me. Laughing. You are given that ability in case of emergencies or for investigatory purposes. Yes, it is possible. Yes, it is wrong for someone to do that, but some people will peep.



There are also filters in place looking for certain words and phrases. Anything you wouldn't say in front of your mother..... Every company is different and has different practices, but they usually don't spy on you unless there is a reason, like any type of harassment.

Answer 4

not with hotmail- but if you're importing anything into an email client like outlook, its very easy to monitor someone's email- most mail servers will have a forward function, which will allow a member of your company to view any email you receive by intercepting a copy of it when they check their mail.



An IT guy can retrieve anything off of your computer and track IP addresses on the routers, or other machines set up to do this... but they cannot break into your hotmail without your password, or without setting up a keystroke logger. You would know if the keystroke logger was running too.

Answer 5

Yes, especially if the email server they're running sends alerts for large emails. Use WinRAR or something to split it up into smaller chunks and email them separately. This would only be noticed if you do them all in a row, or if someone actually scrolls through all the lines in the log file and notices it. You'd be better of using a third-party web-based email account, like Yahoo! Mail or something like that.

Answer 6

That's a good one, a computer forensic's person say nothing gets deleted on the hard-drive, just overwritten. than again de-bugging it, totally cleans it. Me, I don't think so , unless they are physically going to remove the hard drive and examine it. As long as you are not plotting the next jet going into OUR Sears Tower or some nut starting up a gang of NE0-Nazi terrorist's, ahhhhhhhhh don't worry about it. But yea, lets see the other answers.

Answer 7

Most business have their computers set up to copy everything that every computer does. Whether or not they view it on a daily basis is another story. Most companies only view or keep that information if they need a basis to fire someone. I would not send anything you don't want seen. Anything on their computer is considered to be company property. Good luck.

Answer 8

Use a Live CD to avoid such. Install Tor to firefox on the cd.

The live cd will leave nothing on your workstation. The Tor proxy will separate the files into pieces. You can also do a live CD with usb key second boot by qemu to avoid. Xen live will also work.

Answer 9

yes they can. don't do anything on a computer you dont want any one knowing about. my mom works for IKON a big copier and digital company and her coworker got busted for having an intra office relationship with an upper head. the it's can see everything that you do on your computer on thier computer if they want. right as it is happening. and thing like that are kinda against work ethic since tis personal and not work.. becareful. i prosecuted my old landlord for having cameras in my house that went to his computer. the hard drive never deletes a thing.

Answer 10

Depends on what your IT Dept uses.



If your PC's have key loggers on them, then they can read whatever you type on your keyboard.



If your servers have mail readers on them, then they can read any incoming email to your company email address and any outgoing email from your company email address.



If your network has mail readers on them, then they can read anything going out the pipes (like if you use cable or T1 lines).

Answer 11

I don't see why not if you're using their server. It's the same thing with how kids are caught viewing offensive material at school. They have the systems monitored.

Answer 12

depending on how they monitor and route there connections, virtually everything can be traced and viewed. And since the company owns the equipment and pays for the Internet connection it is perfectly legal.

Answer 13

Yeah they can. I use to work in an IT Dept. There are several programs that capture information, Programs that monitor everything you do.



If i were you I would check my email at home.

Answer 14

Chances are that they can. Whether or not they actively do for everyone in the co. is another question. I would recommend keeping work at work, and extracurricular activities outside. good luck!

Answer 15

Yes your companies IT's are the gods on the company computers.

Answer 16

If they have software on the system to view what you do, yes. They also have the absolute right to check on what you are doing, as you are using their equipment on their time, so you have no right to privacy.

Answer 17

It depends. Encrypt everything. Use SSL at the least.

Answer 18

if you use your work e-mail address then then administrator of the company can see your e-mails. i work along side the administrator of the company i work for and he can see peoples e-mails but he dont look unless he really has to

Answer 19

I know my company can...nothing you do at work using company resources (computers, for example) is private.

Answer 20

Yes, always remember at work, NOTHING belongs to you that's done on the computer.

Answer 21

yes

Answer 22

depends on the software they use.



without knowing more, i can't really help you.



ask them.

Answer 23

lots of ppl can, big brother is always watchin.

Answer 24

Yes, they can - and they do look at them.

Answer 25

absolutely, even though they will probably tell you they can't

Answer 26

the answer yes... yes... and YES!

Answer 27

idk, but if you find out, let me know~ and do they know i'm on yahoo answers!