Anyone else notice that automated screenshots are being taken of your desktop throughout the day.
I wonder who reviews these screenshots and what logic is used when taking them as they seems random.
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A better question is whether fired employees were top or bottom performers… companies keep focusing on the wrong metrics.
Classic... I do this since I started working here. Works perfect and I dont have to worry about some dumbI IT audit of device ID's on my lappy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiMtad1T85I
I don't need a jiggler... All I need is my cheap analog watch with the sweeping second hand and my WF issued mouse. Simply place the mouse atop the watch and it does the same thing as the jiggler and is undetectable and performs the same function.
And, WF is not going to terminate anyone for cause without an initial warning. Aint gonna happen.
Incorrect.
WF never cared much before, but now that many are WFH, it matters more. New software was implemented since significant shift to WFH.
Mouse jigglers are easy to ID with our software - e.g. 2 mice for one computer? (hmm), periodicity issues since jigglers are not sophisticated enough to avoid outlier capture on reports.
Go ahead. Take your chances. Just don't be surprised when you are terminated for cause due to violation of Employee Handbook.
good luck finding the mouse jiggler. IT would have to be scanning every corporate laptop for a specific hardware or vendor from the devices in the device manager.
I know people who have been using them here for years.
Any device plugged into corporate laptop/computer is trackable. Not only are peripherals like mouse jigglers prohibited (cause for termination by not complying with handbook), but they don't foil the reporting.
In short: You will be caught (as outlier in reporting) and possibly terminated (at the very least, written up).
I've been using the Mouse Jiggler MJ-3 since I started working here. You program it (how often to move, how many pixesl) on your personal laptop then plug it in to your corporate laptop. I always show as "active" in Skype and my screen saver never turns on. The jiggler keeps your screen active. It's great.
Need to run errands but have a Skype meetings? No problem. Join the Skype meeting links before you leave the house then dial in to the meetings from your personal mobile. Yes, you can join the Skype meeting links as early as you want then when the host opens it up, you are already in. Remember, you dont have to close out the Skype meeting after the meeting ends before you join another one.
They don't actually gather and store screenshots of what your monitor displays unless you're already under investigation (and typically that would be a result of you hitting websites that trigger alerts).
What they do is periodically take an electronic "hash" of the signal that goes from your computer to mouse, keyboard, and monitor. This is simply a big string of numbers that don't mean a thing to a human, but are very easy for computers to work with. Associated with that "hash" is a timestamp.
So what happens is that every 15 minutes or so a new "hash" is taken from your computer, and the value of that hash is compared to the value of the previous "hash". If they're different then it indicates that your screen has changed and your input devices (mouse, keyboard) have not moved. At that time a timestamp called "last activity" is updated. And the process repeats.
But if the "new hash" is the same as the "old hash", then that means that your screen has not changed. The old timestamp is kept as the "last activity". If the time span between "last activity" and "right now" gets too great, it will trigger an alert.
All this data is very small and efficient, and builds over time and can be used for basic reporting purposes pertaining specifically to "user activity". By itself it doesn't mean much, but it gains greater context when they do things like run reports that compare activities of large numbers of employees. Those users who are "outliers" are flagged for further investigation.
So it's not like somebody is watching you. That's not how it works. What it does is provide usage data that management can go back and generate reports from if they want to look specifically at you. Again, this would most likely be due to some investigation.
Also interesting is that nobody can tell what your screen actually looked like from this "hash". That's really simplifying it, as there is a lot more that goes on that deals with screen savers, periodicity (like if you put your mouse on top of a clock or use a mouse jiggler, etc), integration with user data from other tools, etc.
The keystroke metric is false – many of us are on business calls all day (few keystrokes).
who the heck uses their work computer for anything while working from home? I think I've used the Internet on my laptop maybe once or twice in the last year.
Yes they have tools so make sure you have a slider to block your video camera. If you work at home nude it's a problem.
Also all internet activities are monitored so never casually browse online they know you not working.
They are also keeping track of key strokes to make sure you are truly working. I only know this because we terminated and employee and the HR person asked if I needed this information.
Can we see what program performs the automatic screenprint shot on our laptop?
Your screen actually flashes for a full second.
Never forget that they own your work machine and you should not expect any privacy on that machine ever.
They are monitoring to see if you are goofing around. It’s called surveillance.
I thought this happened the other day. My screen had a frame around it for a couple seconds. Then it didnt.
How do you know that? How can you tell?