Hello all, I'm a Network Tech at my business and I've been asked to get information on an employees computer habits, specifically internet usage and instant messaging usage, do any of you have advice as to how I should go about this? We are using a Sonicwall for our corporate firewall, Windows (Server 2003, Vista and XP) and I have complete access to his machine so if there's some monitoring software (preferably free or with a limited free trial) that you know of I can install it. Thank you.

Idea, how about you just simply set up remote desktop on his machine? After all, if you have complete access, set up remote desktop so you can see what he does and what not, and later, when he gets off the machine, get on via remote desktop and view the history. I know I actually work for a school district, and they caught a kid doing something he was not supposed to, although we use mostly macs, but they caught the kid on something, used remote desktop to freeze his machine on that screen, and called his teacher......lol....good stuff

Check the magazine ads of pc world. That magazine always has about 2-3 ads for the kind of software that you are interested in.

I don't know about the US. But here in Switzerland it's CLEARLY VERY illegal to do what you intend to. And I personally find it pretty despicable. There's other ways to handle a lazy employee...
But since you really want to know you'll want to use ettercap and/or ettereal to do so.

Thats switzerland. Here in the U.S., his course of action is perfectly normal. Employers do it all the time here.

The course of action might be common, but do you really think it is "normal"? Wouldn't it be normal to use other ways to keep employees motivated? But I guess you get used to a state where "total control" is an everyday normality. (Don't get me wrong here; this ain't supposed to be an anti american rant. I just am not used to this thought).

"Total control"? Lol. The government does not have total control. Hitler didn't even have total control. If the government had total control over everyone, then George Bush would be able to move control people just like you can control units in Starcraft.

Of course not absolute total control; but I notice a tendency that people start to get used to more and ever more being monitored in all aspects of life. Does that not worry you a bit?

True, it does worry a bit. But for now, that is the least of my worries. America's national debt is sky high (already over the $9 trillion mark), colleges continue to charge more and more in tuition fees, liberals think that it's ok to murder the unborn with abortion, the democrats want to increase taxes in order to bail out people that borrowed too much money (through mortgages which were too great for their income levels), the borders (both north and south) are very insecure, and the economy is starting to slip into a major recession (economy fell considerably just in the past few days). So yes, I am concerned that the government is becoming a bit overbearing. But as you see, that is the least of my worries.