Can companies track and read your instant messages (AIM) like they do with company email?

Question

People at work always seem to be afraid of the network operators logging and reading instant messages that are sent. I've always been under the assumption that this wasn't possible, namely because my friend's office block AIM strictly for the reason that they couldn't monitor what was said. Could someone with knowledge on the subject help me out please? :)

(dunno if I'm putting this in the right category so I'm sorry if it's in the wrong spot!)

Answer 1

If you are on a network, they can see everything you do - instant messages, web surfing, etc... Even at the time you are doing it.

If you visit a "questionable" website, the IT dept will get a notification of your user name, ip address, date and time you visited the site and how often.

Even after email has been deleted from your inbox, the messages are stored for 60-90 days on the main server.

Your friend's work blocks instant messaging not because they can't monitor it, but because they want the employees to only use their computers for work purposes, not entertainment.

Answer 2

Yes they can. Chances are that if they are doing it they also know your asking this question.

Also the person that told you that was the reason probably didn't know what the real reason was. It was likely for loss of productivity, misuse of bandwidth and associated charges, and security (ie trojans and virus' that spread through IM).

Answer 3

Oh they can monitor your IM and they can even log everything that you type not only on IM but anything you type all day. Don't use those things at work.

Answer 4

Yes, if your company has loaded software that tracks every key press. They could put together every single thing you have done while using their work computers.

So yeah, it is possible.

Answer 5

It's very possible...all you need is a packet sniffer and the port on which the IM program is running.