Posted by Andy Neumann on Wed, Jul 21, 2010
With all of the hullabaloo over the reported antennae issue with the iPhone 4, I thought that I would try and shift gears to a completely unrelated topic for discussion. However, at the prospect of the severity of the iPhone issue, I realize I may be barking up the wrong tree. I mean c’mon how can I even think that I would be able to capture your attention when Apple is throwing out terms like ‘ iPhone Death-Grip’ in reference to their product, even when the implication is bad, I don’t know if I stand a chance. Hmmmm – iPhone 4 up against IT Services hot topics - what the heck could I possibly blog about – let me just take a minute to compose my thoughts before I jot them down for the world to see.
I guess I should be happy that I have the opportunity to compose a document that is all mine to create, revise, pick apart and finally complete before I submit for all others to see. Alright , enough with the lame horse puckey and even worse a lame segue into my blog topic – what if I am not alone when I am writing my thoughts –what if I am being watched and don’t even know it?? Ah, the shoe drops.
I am talking about my PC activities being recorded by a Keylogger software application and monitored by someone else. This poses a moral and ethical dilemma on many levels. For the sake of this exercise, let’s entertain the notion of using a Technology Solution to address a Business Process issue. The argument can be made that unethical employee behavior and misuse of a company asset, i.e. your PC, would necessitate some other type of control to be implemented to help track employee activities, notate trends and substantiate the argument when corrective action is taken against said unethical employee. However, I challenge the argument for using Technology to address what is clearly not a technological short coming but rather a clear issue with employee behavior.
I cannot disagree to any extent that the technology solution shouldn’t be considered in a worst case scenario, but I can hold fast to the idea that trying to address the issue in a very indirect and ‘sneaky’ way is taking the path of least resistance. If the issue is an employee misusing company property or misrepresenting the time that they are being paid for, why would the choice be made to implement a technology solution to address the issue, rather than addressing the issue head on. A clearly documented Business Process presented to employees when they accept a position with your company, I feel, would serve the same purpose as trying to deal with a problem child on the back end through various sly and underhanded methods. If nothing else, addressing the problem head on would be less labor intensive and be less expensive. I haven’t even begun to delve in to the argument as to whether or not the Keylogger software implementation would need to be disclosed to the end user in order for it to be fully legit (ah ha a topic for my next blog!)
I suppose that for me to say that I recognize the value of a Technology Solution, such as a Keylogger Software application or Browser Monitoring Software application, would be speaking out of both sides of my mouth, but I am willing to roll the dice and take the chance. However, I do not think that technology should ever take the place of a well thought out, well implemented and well maintained Business Process. While there is a necessity for state of the art equipment and a sound IT foundation, your PC’s will not make or break your success in business, your employees on the other hand . . . .