IT managers in Australia have strongly come out in support of the use of keylogger technology for staff monitoring purposes after it was revealed a government agency watched its employees for more than a year in a surveillance operation. The operation yielded spectacular results, uncovering misuse of personal records contained in a national ID database on a massive scale.
Overall Centrelink, the government organisation in question, uncovered 790 incidents of inappropriate access to client records by 585 staff. A total of five cases were referred to the federal police and public prosecutors due to their serious nature. There were also 19 sackings, a further 92 resignations and more than 300 salary reductions or fines plus demotions, reprimands and warnings. The investigation lasted for two years and included the use of spyware on staff computers for monitoring purposes. Employees were also warned about the consequences of “curiosity browsing” or the use of the database for purposes other than relating to work matters. It is believed, however, that at least one of the cases of misuse involved the creation of fake IDs for fraud purposes.
Australian IT managers have demonstrated their support for the use of keylogging technology by their Centrelink colleagues. According to them the use of such technology can be warranted and ethics should not come into it, if monitoring is in accordance with the law, and particularly if staff are forewarned.
