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A company's information technology managers are entrusted to keep watch and access vital information. But some of them may be accessing too much information.
For most companies, it's no secret. Whatever e-mails or messages you send on your work computer can be reviewed and scrutinized by the company. But, a recent survey from security company Cyber-Ark says one out of three information technology officials say they abuse passwords to look into things they don't need to.
This touched a nerve with some people in Salt Lake City. One woman said, "I wouldn't think that was right." One man said, "I just don't like the idea of people snooping unless there's a cause to do so." Another said, "Personal information should be kept to ourselves, I would hope."
Some of the information they admit to snooping: personal e-mails, board meeting minutes and colleagues' salary.
A Salt Lake student said, "I don't make enough money yet for that to bother me, but I could see, in the future, it would bother me." Another man, who was very bothered, said, "I've been fired from a job because I found out, by mistake, that somebody made more than me."
Bateman IP Law Group President Rand Bateman says most states don't require companies to even tell employees that they can look through any information that's put on a work computer. You may think this is common knowledge, but he says it's not as common as you might think.
"Surprisingly, people are surprised," he said.
But, that's not to say IT managers should look at every bit of information in the company. For example, if an IT guy gets his hands on personal health data, the company could get in legal trouble.
Bateman said, "If an IT guy gets in and finds out and employee has AIDS or a sexually transmitted disease or some mental health issue and releases that, it could really spark some liability on the part of the employer."
As for any IT managers reading this, you'll probably want to avoid looking up your co-workers salaries. For some companies, that's not exactly open information.
"Other companies, including some law firms, have what they call ‘dark box salaries.' In fact, I have friends who works at a firm where you can get fired for revealing what your own salary is," he said.
Bateman says several companies have had their customers' credit information taken from someone working from within who had access to that kind of data.
E-mail: pnelson@ksl.com
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