Accessing unauthorized sites from work computer

[86plymouthcolt]

My employer understandably blocks adult sites. But all I want to do is browse Ebay Motors for Porches. But they have Ebay as an unauthorized site.

Is there a way I can access Ebay through some other site that would act as a "cover".

Man I just want to look at some cars while sitting here at this boring job.

 

[drag]

heh, this is a idea.

If ya got a permanent connection on your home PC, then you could try to install a VNC server on it and put a client on you home computer. This will allow you take remote control of you home computer and you would see the desktop on a window on your work computer. Then you could use your home computer to surf the internet from by remote control from you work! Here is a tip: make your home pc's resolution smaller than your work computer it will make a window that won't fill up you entire desktop.

You can set the server up so that you can use a standard webbrowser to gain remote control. This way you can get control with out having to install any software on your work computer. You would just type in the ip address for you home computer and the port it uses in any standard web browser ( like: 172.13.176.11:8080 or something...) and WALA! instant access to ebay land!

This way it will be impossible for your company to tell which websites you are visiting from home...

However... You work's firewall may stop this... You can get around that by setting the VNC server to TCP port 80, which is the same port used for internet http websites....

BUT, VNC is a bit of a network hog, If they notice your activity is taking up to much of the company's bandwitdth they may figure out what you are up to. VNC is a fairly well know tool for remote administration. So unless your company's tech staff is too stupid detect this stuff or to lazy to care (which wouldn't suprise me one bit), I would sugest to you that you should try to refrain from getting yourself fired... just a freindly warning! The job market isn't to wonderful these days!

vnc is found here and it's free!

good luck!

 

[ScottMac]

Heh, here's another idea: You can be fired for accessing blocked sites. Generally it's a "Walk out" situation ... no appeals, no justification, just "Here's the door, we'll call you so you can come pick up your stuff."

They're blocked for a reason. If you can't live with the corporate rules, find another corp that'll let you waste time surfing.

Generally speaking, accessing home computers is a greater security risk to the corporate network than public web sites.

Have a nice day

Scott

 

[groovin]

speaking as an IT myself id say its not a good idea to try to circumvent corporate security implementations. if you get caught, you can be out of a job.

ive seen people get around firewalls and content filters by simply avoiding them completely... installing a modem (or if your computer already comes with one) and then dialing into a server you set up at home. Id imagine phone traffic is not as monitored by most businesses as network traffic is. the only thing is actually setting up the modem. admins dont usually allow this and block this by doing things from killing your permissions to putting an actual padlock on the computer case.

 

[jbritt1234]

It?s your choice to do whatever you want as long as you know the consequences. I would stay away from installing any software or hardware. One thing you can try is an anonymizer service. The one I can use from where I work is http://www.anonymizer.com. They might have that site blocked though. Do a little searching because there are many more. That way, you are communicating through that site. Not directly to the prohibited site. The info for the site is all hidden within the packets for the allowed site.

Good luck!

 

[SgtBuddy]

In this job, you could go to jail for installing a modem on a work computer. Dial in and allow ANYONE around the firewall.

We have WebSense as the blocker. It is strict (although Ebay and such is allowed...for morale purposes).

Don't try to get around it. We had a firewall guy poke a hole just for him....hey OC12, lotza pr0n. He now has a federal conviction on the books. Barely escaped Ft. Levenworth. Got fined, fired and had to sit in court with his parents (he was in his mid-20s) while they went through the worst 50 of the 8000 pr0n images he had on his computer. Sick stuff. I think the parents thing will prevent me from every doing anything like that at work. I stick to Anandtech, Everquest stuff, and the occasional Dodge forum.

He was the smartest dumb@ss I have ever met. Book smarts, no common sense.

Surf from home.

Work at work (look whose talking?!?)

 

[spidey07]

pretty harsh there Santa. Makes sense though.

Look at it this way. company's computer, network, data, storage, server, circuits, EVERYTHING.

So let's say you use their postage service to mail out flyers advertising you want to sell/buy something. that's wrong right? You would probably get fired for that right?

same with going to e-bay on said company's property, using their resources, on time you are paid for. work is work, play is play.

An another thing, about using anomizer. It is not anonomous unless you're using SSL or other kinds of encryption to such anonomizer services. Otherwise I know where you are going and what you are doing. Use a proxy? I still know exactly where you go and what you do unless encrypted.

Look at a trace of a proxy sessions. HTTP headers are the same (contain full path and command), just dst address changed.

-edit- end lecture, you know the consequences. proxy over a non-standard port with encryption to an outside host if you must. You may be smarter than the folks in charge of security/HR (and don't think they aren't extremely related). then again you may not be. Drag - Most professional logging programs can decode VNC just fine and tell exactly what you are doing.

 

[jbritt1234]

The reason I mention Aonymiser is not because of security... I agree that is somebody is watching you they will be able to see what you are doing. But whatever is being used to block access, whether it is a proxy or WebSence type program, it will see it as if you are communicating with the allowed site. Not that it is funneling pages in from other sources. Where I work, we use Websence... You CAN get around it.

 

[Tallgeese]

ANYTHING can be gotten around. There is no security device yet that can completely block someone who is very determined. Nor is there a "fool-proof" access control technology that filters perfectly in every case.

Which brings us to my next point, kids. Don't smoke crack.
* BONUS * points if you can name the movie that line came from.

Seriously, the importance of logs cannot be overestimated. And let me tell you, you do NOT want to be on the wrong end of an access log.
If you just get canned, you'll be getting off lightly. Depending on what it is that you are perusing illegally, you could end up being bunkmates with a big dude named Bubba Sam who thinks you have a real pretty mouth.
*DOUBLE BONUS* for naming the second flick.

Kiss that fun tech career goodbye too. Get busted for something like that and you won't be hired for ANY position that puts you anywhere NEAR computers or the Internet, assuming a judge hasn't ordered you not to use, touch, or even think about any kind of electronic device.

BTW: At our office, it goes something like this:

First prize...is a brand-new Cadillac El Dorado
Second prize is a set of steak knives.
Circumventing filters is....you lose your job.
*TRIPLE BONUS* if you can name THAT movie.

 

[CaptainBill]

 

[Bleep]

We have a large company office in my city. One office has 14 work stations and they have about 20 offices dispursed around the city.
They had some problems with E-Mail between employees during work hours so they installed keystroke monitoring software and out of the 4 employees that violated any rule concerning there macines 1 got 6 months in jail and the others got fired and charged but their cases have not come up in court yet.
If you are not busy with company business ask for more work and you wont be so bored. You are getting paid to work not play, I dont know how many times I have read posts like this, dont you people have any morals or loyality toward the company that is paying you?
Bleep

 

[Santa]

huum.. did Spidey call my name out and I didn't even enter the thread yet

Waterboy Tallgease?

If you are making enough money to bid on a porche why the heck are you needing to circumvent the firewall? Why not just pay the Firewall admin to let you through?

Come work for my company.. ill do it for you cheaply

 

[Tallgeese]

Originally posted by: Santa
Waterboy TallgeEse?

DING DING DING DING DING!
Now tell me, would you like to try for DOUBLE points by naming the SECOND movie quote?
Remember, if you miss it, spidey can ALWAYS steal!

 

[bobcpg]

just search on the internet for a mask program, i'v seen it before. its basicly a website that you use as a cover and brouse through it.

 

[hungrygoose]

nph-proxy..........it's a cgi script that you can install on an authorized web server.....basically, if you have a webpage that is allowed by the network, you can install this script on the server....then you get a link available on the internet that looks similar to this.... www."domain".com/cgi-bin/nph-proxy.cgi
when you go here, you get another address bar to type in and it is anonymous and you can go just about anywhere

 

[narzy]

Originally posted by: TallGeese
ANYTHING can be gotten around. There is no security device yet that can completely block someone who is very determined. Nor is there a "fool-proof" access control technology that filters perfectly in every case.

Which brings us to my next point, kids. Don't smoke crack.
* BONUS * points if you can name the movie that line came from.

Waterboy

Originally posted by: TallGeese

Seriously, the importance of logs cannot be overestimated. And let me tell you, you do NOT want to be on the wrong end of an access log.
If you just get canned, you'll be getting off lightly. Depending on what it is that you are perusing illegally, you could end up being bunkmates with a big dude named Bubba Sam who thinks you have a real pretty mouth.
*DOUBLE BONUS* for naming the second flick.

Kiss that fun tech career goodbye too. Get busted for something like that and you won't be hired for ANY position that puts you anywhere NEAR computers or the Internet, assuming a judge hasn't ordered you not to use, touch, or even think about any kind of electronic device.

BTW: At our office, it goes something like this:

First prize...is a brand-new Cadillac El Dorado
Second prize is a set of steak knives.
Circumventing filters is....you lose your job.
*TRIPLE BONUS* if you can name THAT movie.