So, Im at my internship right now.....

[MommysLittleMonster]

I bring in my laptop to work and I plug their internet cable into my comp for internet and to access the firm's network drive. I have Instant Messanger installed onto my computer. My question is will "they" be able to find out if I am using instant messanger or if I log into it? I am not do/netqnloading the program and it is being run on my personal laptop.....through the company's internet/network.......???

 

[notfred]

Yes, they could tell that you're using it.

 

[BigJ]

It all runs through the same ports, so if they're watching out or blocking those ports, you will not be able to connect to AIM or they will know.

 

[Brackis]

Use AIM express to trixz0r them

 

[KLin]

They can see all of your network traffic.

 

[MommysLittleMonster]

So they can see this?.....LOL shiettttt

 

[aolj]

Use the webbased ones. Those just uses regular http i think.

 

[vshah]

aim and msn both have browser based versions.

 

[MommysLittleMonster]

It's a program already installed into my laptop......you guys are telling me that I cant use this without being detected?

 

[Injury]

How advanced is your company? Might not be an issue.

The place I intern at uses a linksys wireless router with no encryption. Hah. I doubt anyone else in the building really cares what goes on in here.

 

[MommysLittleMonster]

It's a small accounting firm. 2 partners, maybe 3 accountants, and me. A total of 5 offices, and a small room with a supply closet, a main computer thing, and a microwave.

 

[FoBoT]

many larger corps. are moving to prevent unauthorized access/ensure non-Corp. laptops are patched/virus free with "Network Admission Control (NAC) ". plus everything is logged so they can hunt you down and fire/kill you.

 

[dman]

If they want to detect it they can.

You can use encryption to block what they can read, but, they can still tell you are using the programs.

And yes, they could see what you post here as well.

The question is, do they care, and do they bother?

If in doubt / you care about the job, better not.

 

[CVSiN]

Originally posted by: MommysLittleMonster
It's a small accounting firm. 2 partners, maybe 3 accountants, and me. A total of 5 offices, and a small room with a supply closet, a main computer thing, and a microwave.

that small I doubt they even care... plus they let you bring a nonstandard loaded laptop in from the outside world trusting that you have a clean machine and havent just infected thier network with 10000000000000 trojans and other virus's on thier unsecured network... my company there is no way you would even be allowed to plug into our network with a machine we didnt Image and maintain...

and yes a firm that cares can see everything you do...

 

[phisrow]

In that case, they may well not notice. Theoretically speaking, though, the network admin can see every packet that travels through the network. Assuming you aren't being run through a proxy server, in which case almost all bets are off, you could use an encrypted tunnel so that people couldn't see what was going on; but they could tell that such a connection had been established, even then.
Generally speaking, when at work, never mess around with NSFW stuff, and work on the assumption that you could certainly be seen. Depending on the culture of the shop, they may or may not care about some things(at my job over the summer, it was my bosses who used IM all the time, not me) but don't assume you can get away with it for technical reasons.

 

[Zenmervolt]

As everyone else has said, they could find it out if they really wanted to. As with everything else though, you would need to make them want to find out what you were doing. If you're getting your work done and aren't doing anything suspiscious then you're likely OK to have the program running when you have down-time.

ZV

 

[Injury]

As long as you are wasting time when you have work to do, I wouldn't worry about it.