The Visible Employee - A Book about Monitoring and Surveillance of Employees

For business owners, managers, and IT staff interested in learning how to effectively and ethically monitor and influence workplace behavior, The Visible Employee is a roadmap to ensuring security without risking employee privacy or trust. The misuse of information systems by wired workers — either through error or by intent — is discussed in detail, as are possible results such as leaked or corrupted data, crippled networks, lost productivity, legal problems, or public embarrassment. The book's recommendations provide a range of practical security solutions for at-risk organizations based on judicious combinations of technology and policy.

For professors and students in courses on privacy, organizational behavior, and information security, The Visible Employee provides an analysis of an extensive four-year, NSF supported research project conducted by the authors. The book describes perceptions and attitudes about workplace surveillance in a highly readable format with extensive and colorful quotes from managers, employees, and information technology professionals. Classroom resources in the book include chapter-by-chapter discussion questions and suggested supplemental readings.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Security Researcher Gurpreet Dhillon
Preface by the Authors
Chapter 1: Introduction: Information Protection and Employee Behavior
Chapter 2: How Employees Affect Information Security
Chapter 3: Information Security Technologies and Operations
Chapter 4: Employee Monitoring, Surveillance, and Privacy
Chapter 5: Managerial Perspectives
Chapter 6: Information Technology Professionals’ Perspectives
Chapter 7: Employee Perspectives on Information Security and Privacy
Chapter 8: Overall Analysis and Interpretation
Chapter 9: Recommendations for Managers, Employees, and Information Security Specialists
Bibliographic References
Appendix 1: Chapter by Chapter Discussion Questions for Training or Classroom Use
Appendix 2: Suggested Readings
Appendix 3: Employee Security-Related Behavior List
Appendix 4: Leadership Interview Protocol
Appendix 5: Information Security Professional Interview Protocol
Appendix 6: Employee Interview Protocol
Appendix 7: Straightforward Acceptable Use Policy (Sample policy can be used by readers)
Appendix 8: Straightforward Password Policy (Sample policy can be used by readers)
Author Biographies

Note that the National Science Foundation, which supported the research reported in this book, does not necessarily endorse the research findings in The Visible Employee.