Tech question: Anonymous, trace-free, 2+2 browsing?

[WeGotScrewed]

Cross posted to Internet Gambling

In my workplace, moderate personal web browsing is tolerated by the IT department. However, they do keep a log of the sites that I visit, and 2+2 is visited very frequently. I mean, if I were to be unproductive during work, they would rather me not be constantly surfing poker/gambling websites - and that is probably frowned upon.

I have been thinking, how can I disguise my visits as legitimate web traffic in their logs? I have been thinking about two solutions.

1) Use a commercially available secure anonymizer (like www.anonymizer.com (http://www.anonymizer.com)) where I need to pay them something like U$10 per month? Wouldn't the use of an anonymizer arouse unnecessary suspicion as it will be shown in the company's logs?

2) Use SSH tunnelling and use my personal computer at home as a host?

Do bosses really frown on their workers for visiting these kind of sites? Any experiences? Has anybody implemented this kind of solution to hide it from them?

[rustyboy]

You are lucky. Websence blocks 2+2 at my work. As well as yahoo games, fantasy sports, etc, etc, etc. It kills me.

[Smackdab]

As an employer I would frown upon any "personal" web-surfing on MY time. A loyal and valued employee would be more than welcome to use down time (whatever that is supposed to be) to research things that may impact my business however.

That being said I browse 2+2 at my office all the time. It's good to be king! /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[soah]

I may have no personal experience in this regard, but I think I'd be willing to bet that they would rather see you spend lots of times at a poker discussion forum than spending lots of time hiding your tracks so that they don't know what you're doing.

[MrMoo]

I'd personally tunnel over SSH. If they're checking your local machine they will see the cache though.

I don't think any good can come from them knowing you browse gambling sites.

[prairieboy]

One could make a pretty strong argument that 2+2 is a discussion forum, not a gambling site and therefore is not a violation of any "no gambling sites" policies. Although that distinction may be too fine for an IT department with a hard-ass attitude or a boss who is looking for an excuse to fire you.

Given that, I would strongly recommend against anonymizers or tunneling as it is an implicit admission that you believe that 2+2 IS a violation of the internet policy - which blows your "discussion group not gambling site" argument to hell.

It also begs the question "what else is he doing out there?"

Personally, I would fire you for tunneling/anonymizing before I'd fire your for browsing 2+2.

[BigBaitsim (milo)]

As an employer, I would worry tons more about your anonymous browsing than about your 2+2 browsing. That having been said, get back to work.

[AnyTwoCanLose]

A loyal and valued employee would be more than welcome to use down time (whatever that is supposed to be) to research things that may impact my business however.





Wow... I'd really want to become loyal and valued so I could research ways to make you rich while you browse gambling sites...

what about the ones that aren't "loyal and valued"? Are they chained in the basement?

[chesspain]

Maybe instead of spending time figuring out how you can screw over your employer by secretely reading 2+2, you could take your energy and excessive free time at work and try to figure out how to be more productive.

[Jeffage]

You must be dreaming if you think your employees don't do a lot of web surfing on your time. It's human nature and nobody is really busy all the time. I think if people meet deadlines and exceed expectations, what they view online shouldn't matter (provided it isn't porn or something).

Jeff

[RickyG]

If you have a static IP at home you can use Remote desktop within windows to log into your home computer and surf from there. All they would be able to see is a remote desktop connection. There are many legitimate reasons to be logging into your home PC for this. If you dont have XP then you can use something like UltraVNC.

Good Luck.

[Easy E]

I guess concentrating on your job, or finding a new one that is more engrossing, never entered your mind?

[Easy E]

Common practice for you to get revenge on your parents for "do as I say, not as I do?"

In fact, your performance affects their work as well- why are you surfing on THEIR time?

[Easy E]

now I'm a poser! /images/graemlins/blush.gif