View Full Version : Busted
timwilky
18-02-07, 02:22 PM
Now I do system support for a number of small companies, and this morning one of them phoned me with a problem and I had to VNC onto his office computer. Dopy old me forgot to disconnect when I had resolved the problem.
3 hours later the daughter asks if she can use my laptop as it is still on the table and I say yes.
She knows my password and wakes it up to be greeted by the computer I was still VNCed onto. Dirt monster at the other end is having a right good porn trawl. At first I had to convince the wife and daughter it wasn't something I was doing.
Do I contact the boss of the remote company. (Who phoned me this morning for help) and tell him his office computer was being used for porn this afternoon. Assuming it wasn't him at it. Or do I keep quiet and accept some people think that porn was the reason the internet was invented.
hard one as you dont know exactly who was using the remote computer
CoolGirl
18-02-07, 02:49 PM
diffcult. but here's some thoughts that might help you decide what to do
You're not responsible for enforcing their computer use policy (which I expect says thay users aren't allowed to do this)
surely the person at the other end shouldhave disconnected you?
but your company's contract with them probably has something that says you should report anything untoward
your own company probably has rules about this sort of thing
would you get into trouble for forgetting to close the connection in the first place?
better to say "this has happened" now than get pulled up for it later (happened to one of my staff once - he came straight to me and said someone had sent him a dodgy link, so when IT came to bust him for it, I already knew and was able to defend him)
Alpinestarhero
18-02-07, 02:51 PM
Depends; if the company finds out about it, then finds out you where withholding the information they might get angry with you too, hence no more dealings with said company.
I personally would drop an email or something, just saying that such activity is going on.
But thats me!
Matt
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5430343841227974645
Warthog
18-02-07, 04:18 PM
I'd just forget about it, it could be seen as you spying on their activities. You'll get more hassle if you do try to do anything.
Do you value the contract? I wouldnt bother - considering the chances are it was him doing the trawling.
hard one ..................................
sorry....I'll be going now...
Do you value the contract? I wouldnt bother - considering the chances are it was him doing the trawling.
Yer sounds like a good answer, could always mention you were still connected for a number of hours after solving it and when you realised you were connected disconnected and just don't mention you saw anything. They can't prove that you saw anything.
I'd forget about it. If someone wants to surf porn, that's their choice, and for their company to enforce if they want to. I don't see it's your responsibility to grass him/her up. If one of my staff was doing the same I don't suppose I'd be too pleased but then I spend quite a bit of time surfing bike sites, so I couldn't be overly critical.
sorry....I'll be going now...
trust someone to catch that one
Tis a hard one as it really depends on what sort of logging the company has, we log all web activity and also any remote control activity. The user could say it wasn't him doing the surfing as you was connected to his PC, rock, hard place
SoulKiss
18-02-07, 10:09 PM
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5430343841227974645
Damn, beat me too it.......
Quiff Wichard
18-02-07, 10:27 PM
u surfin bike sites though ED with yer trousers round yer ankles??
aha - thats where the bad thumb occurred..
Tim- I would forget it mate..honest--- I mean u shudda d/c'd anyway and udidnt .. and your daughter saw the porn so maybe u just mad at yourself! ....... and want someone to blame. .. dont worry- but DONT turn to cake !
Timbo,
Nothing to do with you. Your fault for not disconnecting.
BTW, what were the sites that were being looked at?
netsurfer
19-02-07, 12:22 PM
One thing that really miffs me is that its always those machines that get infected with malware, spyware, viruses etc.
Every time it is brought to the users attention they shrug their shoulders, after all according to them thats why you're there. Life would be so much easier without their porn surfing habits. Report them!
If you are worried it was maybe the boss, next time you are VNC'd in, check the cookies for the username ;)
Pete
Quiff Wichard
19-02-07, 01:34 PM
One thing that really miffs me is that its always those machines that get infected with malware, spyware, viruses etc.
Every time it is brought to the users attention they shrug their shoulders, after all according to them thats why you're there. Life would be so much easier without their porn surfing habits. Report them!
If you are worried it was maybe the boss, next time you are VNC'd in, check the cookies for the username ;)
Pete
gosh what a posh company- they havetheir own names on their biscuits???
None of your business, porn is not illegal, forget the whole thing. Just because you had left the VNC session running doesn't mean you were watching it, so if it ever does come up (1% chance) then you didn't see anything.
Nutkins
19-02-07, 02:35 PM
Is this thread part of your diversionary tactic to throw your wife of the scent.
Well, let me tell you Mrs Timwilky ..... he's a dirty birdy!!
I've just seen what this thread is about.
Being in the same sort of role, I would just drop my immediate manager a message saying what happened, and how.
This way you're following CoC, and not going over someones head, not spying, not risking insulting someone, and most importantly, not responsible for any comeback.
If your manager (executive or otherwise) decides to report it to the company in question, it will carry a lot more weight than just you (regardless of how high up you are in the company). Also, if this company know you saw (by some fluke of chance), and complain to your manager about you not reporting it, you did do. The flak for not reporting it then rests with your manager.
Ceri JC
19-02-07, 04:01 PM
I'd forget it. You don't stand to gain anything by bringing it up and you have the potential to lose a bit. It's also quite possible that it's him doing it and would view you seeing it as spying on him. Aside from being bad for customer relations, it could be argued that your daughter's access (particularly if it is not your personal laptop- IE work provide it to you) was "unauthorised" and in breach of the computer misuse act.
EDIT: By daughter's access, I mean her access to the client's pc via VNC. Although, your company's IT policy might (read, "should") also have a problem with her use of your laptop.
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