At many places of employment, people use desktop or laptop computers with internet access to get their jobs done. This leaves the opportunity open for employees to access the internet for personal reasons, like checking emails or surfing the Internet while on the company clock. Just because you are using the computer doesn't guarantee you are entititled to having privacy about how you use this resource.   Privacy, just like any other basic human right, is at the center of controversy when it comes to use of the internet on workplace computers. Since the actual computer hardware and software is the property of the company, the Internet connectivity is paid for by the company and you are officially on company time, your employer may feel that whatever you do when you are at work can and should be monitored. While some employers may give you some basic workplace privacy, laws on this vary from state to state, so you can't count on that. That means from the time you clock in for work at the beginning of your shift to the time you leave, everything you do and communicate can be monitored by camera, the Internet browser you use and management.

In most cases, the company you work for views this as protecting the confidentiality of any information exchanged by employees and the outside world. Companies actually have a legal obligation to monitor any activities that could possibly be illegal or offensive to others. Records of email exchanges are stored because they can be subpoenaed at any time in a civil or criminal case, so the company must have a system in place to ensure this can be handled. An employee should never assume that it's their right to have Internet privacy at work.

So how can an employee reduce the intrusion into their private life when using the company computers and Internet at work? The most obvious would be to never visit any personal sites while at work. Of course, this is not always possible so you can always limit the amount of time you spend on the internet while at work to when you take your lunch break. Most companies have a written policy that allows you to use the Internet during these times, but if you are unsure of what your company allows, ask your immediate supervisor or consult with the Human Resources department.

One of the most important things to remember is that while the employer can track the activities of a particular computer via the IP address and cookie history stored on your computer memory, your actual personal information such as your name, address or bank account information cannot be stored there unless you put it there. In other words, if you don't want your personal information stored, don't make purchases online with personal credit cards, don't use your real name when filling out forms or entering passwords for online sites. Remember, you can always make up names and identities for online forms, Internet forums and any other business you have to take care of online. You can safeguard your own Internet privacy at work by limiting the amount of personal information you choose to share.