Online Activity definition
Examples of online activity in a sentence.
See Israeli Tax Guidance on On-line Activity of Foreign Companies, Newsletter (MEITAR, Ramat Gan, Isr.), Apr.
Copies of the signed policies are archived in Rschool Online Activity Registration.
Online Activity : CRA Focus on Video Game Streamers and Online InfluencersIt has recently been reported that CRA is reviewing social media accounts to see whether video game streamers’ and online influencers’ income is consistent with paid endorsements and other signs of income online.
Defaulters are not permitted to enter into the campus during class days.However Online Activity may be entered duly in the LMS of the course for gaining attendance.
Felix Richter, Social Networking is the No. 1 Online Activity in the U.S., STATISTA (Aug.
Goldberg et al., Trust in Inter- net Privacy and Security and Online Activity (Nat’l Telecomm.
Regard should be given to the school’s Social Media and Online Activity and ICT Acceptable Use policies at all times both inside and outside of work.
Accordingly, you understand and acknowledge that the Online Activity screens within Online Banking will not reflect transfers made by multiple users from the same account if different login IDs are used.
Maintaining all required records on a current and accurate basis, using the division-wide SchoolFunds Online Activity Fund Accounting System.
You will have the ability to cancel your transfer request before the daily Business Day Cutoff Time through the Online Activity Center.
Related to Online Activity
Outside Activity means any private practice, private consulting, additional teaching or research, or other activity, compensated or uncompensated, which is not part of the employee's assigned duties and for which the University has provided no compensation.
Gross beta particle activity means the total radioactivity due to beta particle emission as inferred from measurements on a dry sample.
Service activities means activities in connection with the provision of personal, continuing services to shareholder accounts in the Shares; provided, however, that if the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (“NASD”) adopts a definition of “service fee” for purposes of Section 2830(b)(9) of the NASD Conduct Rules or any successor provision that differs from the definition of “service activities” hereunder, or if the NASD adopts a related interpretive position intended to define the same concept, the definition of “service activities” in this paragraph shall be automatically amended, without further action of the parties, to conform to the then effective NASD definition. Overhead and other expenses related to “distribution activities” or “service activities,” including telephone and other communications expenses, may be included in the information regarding amounts expended for these activities.
Educational activity means an activity offered by a school, school district, charter school or county office of education that constitutes an integral fundamental part of elementary and secondary education, including, but not limited to, curricular and extracurricular activities.
Response activity means evaluation, interim response activity, remedial action, demolition, providing an alternative water supply, or the taking of other actions necessary to protect the public health, safety, or welfare, or the environment or the natural resources. Response activity also includes health assessments or health effect studies carried out under the supervision, or with the approval of, the department of community health and enforcement actions related to any response activity.
Terrorist activity means any deliberate, unlawful act that:
Program or activity means all of the operations of any entity described in paragraphs (m)(1) through (4) of this section, any part of which is extended Federal financial assistance:
Education program or activity means locations, events, or circumstances for which the school district exercises substantial control over both the respondent and the context in which the sexual harassment occurs and includes school district education programs or activities that occur on or off of school district property.
School-Sponsored Activity means any activity conducted on or off school property (including school buses and other school-related vehicles) that is sponsored, recognized or authorized by the Board of Education.
Competitive Activity means the Executive’s participation, without the written consent signed by an officer of the Company and authorized by the Board, in the management of any business enterprise if (i) such enterprise engages in substantial and direct competition with the Company and such enterprise’s sales of any product or service competitive with any product or service of the Company amounted to 10% of such enterprise’s net sales for its most recently completed fiscal year and if the Company’s net sales of said product or service amounted to 10% of the Company’s net sales for its most recently completed fiscal year or (ii) the primary business done or intended to be done by such enterprise is in direct competition with the business of providing facility services in any geographic market in which the Company operates. “Competitive Activity” will not include the mere ownership of securities in any such enterprise and the exercise of rights appurtenant thereto, if such ownership is less than 5% of the outstanding voting securities or units of such enterprise.
Restricted Activity means directly or indirectly owning any interest in, managing, controlling, participating in, consulting with, rendering services for, or in any manner engaging in any business with any customer, supplier, competitor or other person having a business relation with the Company or any of its subsidiaries; provided however that the term "Restricted Activity" shall not include passive ownership of not more than 2% of the outstanding stock of any class of a corporation which is publicly traded, so long as Executive has no active participation in the business of that corporation.
Intrascholastic Activities means athletic or non-athletic/academic activities where students compete with students from within the same school.
Peak Market Activity means a measure of exposure for which credit is required, involving peak exposures in rolling three-week periods over a year timeframe, with two semi-annual reset points, pursuant to provisions of Tariff, Attachment Q, section V.A. Peak Market Activity shall exclude FTR Net Activity, Virtual Transactions Net Activity, and Export Transactions Net Activity.
economic activity means putting goods or services on a market. It is not necessary to make a profit to be engaged in economic activity: if others in the market offer the same good or service, it is an economic activity.” Department for Business Innovation & Skills, State Aid: The Basics Guide, July 2014 - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/443686/BIS
licensed activity means any activity set out in section 4 of this licence.
Service Session means a sequence of support activities and tasks carried out remotely to collect further information by interview or by analysis of a Production System resulting in a list of recommendations. A Service Session could run manually, as a self-service or fully automated.
Gross alpha particle activity means the total radioactivity due to alpha particle emission as inferred from measurements on a dry sample.
Competitive Activities means any business activities in which the Company or any other member of the Company Group engage (or have committed plans to engage) during the Term of Employment, or, following termination of Employee’s employment hereunder, was engaged in business (or had committed plans to engage) at the time of such termination of employment.
Regulated Activity means any generation, treatment, storage, recycling, transportation, disposal or release of any Hazardous Substances.
School activities means any activity sponsored by the school including, but not limited to, classroom work, library activities, physical education classes, official assemblies and other similar gatherings, school athletic contests, band concerts, school plays and other theatrical productions, and in-school lunch periods.
Verbal abuse means to threaten significant physical or emotional harm to an elderly person or a person with a disability through the use of:
Major life activities means functions such as caring for one's self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning and working.
Commercial activity means any activity or employment of the vessel for which a contract or charter party is in force and includes the carriage of any cargo or persons for reward;
Commercial sexual activity means any sex act on account of which anything of value is given to, promised to, or received by any person.
Business activity means that term as defined in section 3(2) of the former single business tax act, 1975 PA 228, or in section 105 of the Michigan business tax act, 2007 PA 36, MCL 208.1105.
Commercial cannabis activity means the production, cultivation,
Most Popular Internet Activities
Here are percentages of internet users who do such activities online as sending email, playing games, downloading music, and more.
- Daily Internet Activities
Here are the facts and trivia that people are buzzing about.
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Internet Safety - Understanding Browser Tracking
Internet safety -, understanding browser tracking, internet safety understanding browser tracking.
Internet Safety: Understanding Browser Tracking
Lesson 7: understanding browser tracking.
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Understanding browser tracking
Whenever you use the Internet, you leave a record of the websites you visit, along with each and every thing you click. To track this information, many websites save a small piece of data—known as a cookie —to your web browser. In addition to cookies, many websites can use your user accounts to track browsing activity. While this type of browser tracking doesn't pose a serious risk to your online security, it's important to understand how your online data is tracked and used.
Watch the video below to learn more about browser tracking.
Why do websites track browsing activity?
There are many reasons a website might track your browsing activity. In some cases, it's simply to make your browsing experience faster and more convenient. But this data can also be used to determine your browsing habits and preferences—information that is frequently used by advertisers in determining what ads to show you online. Here are a few common examples of when a website might track your online activity.
- Video sites like YouTube and Netflix collect information on the videos you watch, which helps them suggest more videos you might like.
- Online stores like Amazon and eBay keep a record of the different items you view and purchase, which helps them suggest other products you may want to buy.
- Search engines like Google keep a record of the things you search for. This can help them suggest more relevant searches, but it can also be used for advertising purposes. For example, if you search for a coffeemaker on Google, you might see ads for coffeemakers on other websites in the future.
How do cookies work?
Cookies can store specific information on the websites you visit and the things you click on different sites. If you don't have an account on a particular site, this information is typically saved in a cookie to your web browser. For example, a news website might use cookies to see if you've previously visited its site—and what articles you read on your last visit—so it can suggest more articles based on your previous choices.
Watch this video from Adversitement to learn more about cookies and how they work.
Should I be worried about cookies?
Generally speaking, cookies don't pose a serious risk to your online security—you're unlikely to acquire malware or expose sensitive financial information by using cookies. Still, if you don't like the idea of websites collecting information about you this way, there are options for limiting cookie tracking on your computer.
How to avoid cookie tracking
There are a few different ways to avoid cookie tracking. Some websites actually give you the option to disable cookie tracking on their site, although this may also disable certain site features.
If you want to opt out of cookies entirely, you could try enabling the Do Not Track setting in your browser. Most web browsers disable this feature by default, but it can usually be activated from the privacy settings.
Note that participation in the Do Not Track program is voluntary , so some sites may not honor this request. If you'd prefer to avoid cookies altogether, you could use a private browsing mode whenever you go online. This will prevent any cookies from being saved to your web browser.
Private browsing mode won't protect against every kind of browser tracking. To learn more, check out our lesson on Browsing Privately .
Account tracking
Even if you never allow websites to store cookies, there are other ways your browsing habits can be tracked. For example, when you create an account with a site like Facebook or Google , you're also giving them permission to track and save information on your activity. Instead of saving this information in a cookie, it's stored by the company and associated with your account.
In many cases, this information is then provided to third-party advertisers, who can use this information to deliver personalized ads across the Internet. And while you can usually disable these tracking settings, they will be enabled by default.
Check out our lessons on Adjusting Your Facebook Privacy Settings and Understanding Google Privacy to learn more about controlling the information you share with these service providers.
/en/internetsafety/social-media-privacy-basics/content/
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Table of Contents
What does online mean, techopedia explains online.
Online, in a generic sense, refers to when an electronic device is on and connected to other devices, such as another computer, a network or a device such as a printer. More recently, the term online has come to mean connected to the Internet. In this case, either a person may be online when he or she is using the Internet, or the computer itself may be said to online when it has established an Internet connection.
Devices such as printers and scanners are considered to be online when they are running and connected to a computer system. In regards to connection to the Internet or other network, computers would technically be considered to be online when they are connected to a network (such an an intranet), but most people use the term to refer to Internet connection only. When a computer or device is not online, it's said to be offline. Online can also be used as an adjective to describe activity performed while on the Internet, such as online shopping.
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Related Terms
- Online Service
- Online Help
- Online Banking
- Online Marketing
- Online Coupon
- Online Advertising
- Online Comparison Shopping
- Online Auction
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What is a digital footprint? And how to protect it from hackers
Digital footprint – meaning and definition
A digital footprint – sometimes called a digital shadow or an electronic footprint – refers to the trail of data you leave when using the internet. It includes websites you visit, emails you send, and information you submit online. A digital footprint can be used to track a person’s online activities and devices. Internet users create their digital footprint either actively or passively.
What is a digital footprint?
Whenever you use the internet, you leave behind a trail of information known as your digital footprint. A digital footprint grows in many ways – for example, posting on social media, subscribing to a newsletter, leaving an online review, or shopping online.
Sometimes, it’s not always obvious that you are contributing to your digital footprint. For example, websites can track your activity by installing cookies on your device, and apps can collate your data without you knowing it. Once you allow an organization to access your information, they could sell or share your data with third parties. Worse still, your personal information could be compromised as part of a data breach.
You often hear the terms ‘active’ and ‘passive’ in relation to digital footprints:
Active digital footprints
An active digital footprint is where the user has deliberately shared information about themselves – for example, through posting or participating on social networking sites or online forums. If a user is logged into a website through a registered username or profile, any posts they make form part of their active digital footprint. Other activities that contribute to active digital footprints include completing an online form – such as subscribing to a newsletter – or agreeing to accept cookies on your browser.
Passive digital footprints
A passive digital footprint is created when information is collected about the user without them being aware that this is happening. For example, this occurs when websites collect information about how many times users visit, where they come from, and their IP address . This is a hidden process, which users may not realize is taking place. Other examples of passive footprints include social networking sites and advertisers using your likes, shares, and comments to profile you and target you with specific content.
Why do digital footprints matter?
Digital footprints matter because:
- They are relatively permanent, and once the data is public – or even semi-public, as may be the case with Facebook posts - the owner has little control over how others will use it.
- A digital footprint can determine a person’s digital reputation, which is now considered as important as their offline reputation.
- Employers can check their potential employees’ digital footprints, particularly their social media, before making hiring decisions. Colleges and universities can check their prospective students’ digital footprints before accepting them too.
- Words and photos which you post online can be misinterpreted or altered, causing unintentional offense.
- Content intended for a private group can spread to a broader circle, potentially damaging relationships and friendships.
- Cybercriminals can exploit your digital footprint – using it for purposes such as phishing for account access or creating false identities based on your data.
For these reasons, it is worth considering what your digital footprint says about you. Many people try to manage their digital footprint by being cautious about their online activities to control the data that can be gathered in the first place.
Digital footprint examples
An internet user could have hundreds of items form part of their digital footprint. Some of the ways in which users add to their digital footprint include:
Online shopping
- Making purchases from e-commerce websites
- Signing up for coupons or creating an account
- Downloading and using shopping apps
- Registering for brand newsletters
Online banking
- Using a mobile banking app
- Buying or selling stocks
- Subscribing to financial publications and blogs
- Opening a credit card account
Social media
- Using social media on your computer or devices
- Logging into other websites using your social media credentials
- Connecting with friends and contacts
- Sharing information, data, and photos with your connections
- Joining a dating site or app
Reading the news
- Subscribing to an online news source
- Viewing articles on a news app
- Signing up for a publication’s newsletter
- Reposting articles and information you read
Health and fitness
- Using fitness trackers
- Using apps to receive healthcare
- Registering your email address with a gym
- Subscribing to health and fitness blogs
alt= “Almost all online activities can contribute to your digital footprint. Image shows somebody holding their phone and credit card up in front of a computer screen with an online shopping window open.”
Protect your digital footprint
Because employers, colleges, and others can look up your online identity, it’s a good idea to be mindful of your digital footprint. Here are some tips for protecting your personal data and managing your online reputation.
Use search engines to check your digital footprint
Enter your name into search engines. Include your first and last name and any variations on spellings. If you have changed your name, search for both current and former names. Reviewing the search engine results will give you a sense of what information about you is publicly available. If any of the results show you in a negative light, you could contact the site administrator to see if they can remove it. Setting up Google Alerts is one way to keep an eye on your name.
Reduce the number of information sources that mention you
For example, real estate websites and whitepages.com may have more information about you than you may wish. These sites can often include personal information like your phone number, address, and age. If you are not comfortable with this, you can contact the websites and request that the information is removed.
Limit the amount of data you share
Every time you provide your personal information to an organization, you widen your digital footprint. You also increase the possibility that one of the organizations storing your data will misuse it or suffer a breach, putting your data in the wrong hands. So, before you submit that form, consider if it’s worth it. Are there other ways to obtain that information or service without sharing your data?
Double-check your privacy settings
Privacy settings on social media allow you to control who sees your posts. Review these settings and ensure they are set to a level you are comfortable with. For example, Facebook allows you to limit posts to friends and make customized lists of people who can see certain posts. However, bear in mind that privacy settings only protect you on the relevant social media site.
Avoid oversharing on social media
Social media makes it easy to connect with others but can also make oversharing easy. Think twice before revealing your location or travel plans, or other personal information. Avoid disclosing your phone number or email address in your social media bio. It's also a good idea to avoid 'liking' your own bank, healthcare provider, pharmacy, etc. – as this can lead cybercriminals to your critical accounts.
Avoid unsafe websites
Make sure you’re transacting with a secure website – the URL should start with https:// rather than http:// - the “s” stands for “secure” and indicates that the site has a security certificate . There should also be a padlock icon to the left of the address bar. Never share any confidential information on unsecured sites, especially payment details.
Avoid disclosing private data on public Wi-Fi
A public Wi-Fi network is inherently less secure than your personal one since you don't know who set it up or who else might be watching. Avoid sending personal information when using public Wi-Fi networks.
Delete old accounts
One way to reduce your digital footprint is by deleting old accounts – for example, social media profiles you no longer use or newsletter subscriptions you no longer read. Getting rid of dormant accounts minimizes your exposure to potential data breaches.
Create strong passwords and use a password manager
A strong password will help you maintain internet security. A strong password is long – made up of at least 12 characters and ideally more – and contains a mix of upper- and lower-case letters plus symbols and numbers. The more complex and involved your password, the harder it is to crack. Using a password manager will help generate, store, and manage all your passwords in one secure online account. Keep your passwords private – avoid sharing them with others or writing them down. Try to avoid using the same password for all your accounts, and remember to change them regularly.
Keep an eye on your medical records
Practice good data hygiene by periodically reviewing your medical records. Identity thieves target medical and health information as well as financial data. When criminals use your personal information to obtain medical treatment in your name, their health records can become intertwined with your own.
Don’t log in with Facebook
Logging into websites and apps using Facebook is convenient. However, every time you sign into a third-party website using your Facebook credentials, you give that company permission to mine your Facebook user data – potentially placing your personal information at risk.
Keep software up to date
Outdated software could house a wealth of digital footprints. Without the latest updates, cybercriminals could gain access to this information. Cybercriminals can easily access a victim’s devices and data by exploiting vulnerabilities in software. You can help prevent this by keeping your software up to date. Older software can be more vulnerable to attacks by hackers.
Review your mobile use
Set a passcode for your mobile device so that it can't be accessed by other people if you lose it. When installing an app, read the user agreement. Many apps disclose what kind of information they collect and what it may be used for. These apps may mine personal data like your email, location, and online activities. Check that you are comfortable with the information being shared before you use the app.
Think before you post
What you post or say online sends a message about who you are, as does what others reveal about you. Aspects of your digital footprint, such as uploaded photographs, blog comments, YouTube videos, and Facebook posts, might not portray the way you would like to be seen. Create a positive digital footprint by posting only those things that contribute to the image of you that you want others to see.
Act fast after a breach
If you suspect your data might have been compromised in a breach, take action immediately. If a financial loss is involved, contact your bank or credit card provider to report the breach. Change any passwords that might have been exposed. If it's a password you have used for other accounts, update it across the board.
Using a virtual private network, or VPN, can help safeguard your digital footprint. This is because VPNs mask your IP address which makes your online actions virtually untraceable. This protects your privacy online and can prevent websites from installing cookies that track your internet browsing history. Kaspersky Secure Connection enables you to have a secure connection between your device and an internet server that no one can monitor or access the data you are exchanging.
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Information Age
Insight and Analysis for the CTO
How to monitor users internet activity?
There are a lot of nuances that need to be considered, from budgeting and finance to workflow, to security, to climate at the workplace, to employee morale, etc.
Successful user activity monitoring requires you to choose the best tool for your situation and integrate it into a business process in the least disruptive way possible.
>See also: Is 2017 the year the Internet of Things will die?
With a huge number of offers available on the market right now, it can be rather hard to do. Down below we will give you some practical advice on how to best approach employee network activity monitoring, and what tools can be used to do it.
Network activity monitoring – why it is necessary
Before even starting to monitor users internet activity, you need to understand why you’re doing it. This type of monitoring can be used to solve numerous problems, but you need to know exactly what you setting up to achieve because it will determine your approach and your tools of choice.
For most companies, the need to monitor users internet activity comes down to the following:
Increased security
Data theft and leakage are real problems. Sometimes they happen due to hacking attacks, where perpetrator gains control over your system. Sometimes they happen due to compromised accounts. Sometimes the culprit is a malicious insider – an employee with legitimate access. In other instances, data is leaked due to inadvertent mistake.
>See also: The impact of the Internet of Things (IoT)
In all these situations user activity monitoring can help, depending on your setup and tools used, to detect leakage, deter a perpetrator, and, what’s even more important, to gather information and evidence in order to conduct a conclusive investigation and determine what exactly happened.
So, while it’s always useful to monitor all network activity inside a company, in this situation it means that you need to take extra care in monitoring endpoints with sensitive data specifically.
While security is important, monitoring user activity due to compliance is also extremely prevalent. Many companies are more concerned about meeting regulations and protecting themselves in the long run, than about dealing with eminent threats.
This means that sometimes security measures are implemented regardless of the actual risk associated with a particular threat. Although you should always remember that any compliance is designed to facilitate security and to serve as a guiding tool in creating your own defences, it is worth noting that it is never worth sacrificing employee morale with rigorous widespread monitoring if actual risks are not that high.
>See also: The battle for the future of the internet is here: net neutrality under threat
The better course of action is to focus on endpoints that contain sensitive information and monitor network activity whenever it is accessed.
It is also worth noting that for security and compliance, regular network activity monitoring may not be enough. Instead, you will most likely need to use user activity monitoring software, capable of recording user actions in order to determine not only when sensitive data was accessed, but also what operations were conducted with said data.
Performance evaluation and facilitation of positive work culture
Performance evaluation is probably the most widespread reason to monitor employee network usage. It is not a secret that employee performance can be severely affected by the extensive use of the corporate internet for entertainment or to solve personal matters.
Considering that access to the internet is provided by the company specifically as a tool to do work, an employer often has the full right to monitor said access. If an employee demonstrates unsatisfactory performance due to wasting time on entertainment or personal matters, the results of such monitoring can be used to prove it.
It can be used as a leverage in order to talk to the employee and convince them to focus on the job.
>See also: Ethiopia’s internet shut down by government
Moreover, you will be able to check whether employees are accessing some inappropriate materials from work. This will help you quickly put a stop to that, protecting your company from any potential lawsuits related to hostile work environment.
However, it is worth noting that if you don’t want your employees to look at certain websites, it would be wise to prohibit access to them altogether. This, in addition to conducting monitoring and having clear written policies, can create a healthy atmosphere in the workplace, where both employees and employers know why certain measures in place and what to expect from each other.
The right approach is the key
Despite all the benefits, it’s worth noting that employee network usage monitoring done incorrectly does have its own set of drawbacks. Your employees have their own concerns about privacy and high amount of pressure, and failure to address them can result in a loss of morale and productivity, as well as high turnover rates. The things you need to take into account include:
Privacy concerns – even if you provide the communication channel, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you can view the content of private employee emails. Laws in various countries differ on this, with US usually being more in favour of the employer. Nevertheless, a knowledge that their privacy is under threat can negatively impact employee morale, which is never a good thing.
Risk of discrimination lawsuits – if you targeting a specific employee, then you always opening yourself for a lawsuit. Make sure that your monitoring policy is universal and fully formalised.
>See also: The future of the Internet of Things in the healthcare sector
Risk of lawsuit for punishing employee who criticises the company – under US law employee cannot be punished for criticising their employer. If network monitoring determined instances of said criticism, they alone cannot serve as a basis for taking disciplinary action.
Concerns about high pressure and employee morale – rigorous monitoring can put high pressure on employees to always watch their behavior, which often results in quick burnout and extremely high turnover rates. It is always worth minding the gap between productive monitoring and surveillance.
In order to alleviate all of these concerns, you need to conduct employee monitoring in an ethical way and take into consideration opinion and potential problems of your employees.
There are three main best practices that you should follow when conducting user action monitoring:
Create clear written policies – make sure to put all your policies regarding network monitoring in clear writing, and make sure that your employees are familiar with them.
This will help you create a set of concrete rules, and lets your employees know what you expect from them and what they should expect from you. It is also a great reference point for whenever rules are broken.
Inform your employees – trust between employee and employer is a basis for a healthy working relationship. If you don’t inform your employees that they are being monitored, then whenever it comes out, their trust in you will be ruined.
>See also: 3 scenarios for marketing with the Internet of Things
Monitor only when it is necessary – this is another point regarding the difference between monitoring and surveillance. You need to employ monitoring only when it is necessary to achieve your goals. Meaning, that it is often best to focus on endpoints with sensitive information in order to achieve security or compliance. And even in that case, you may want to limit monitoring to only when said data is accessed.
Of course, if your goal is to evaluate employee performance or protect yourself from insider threats, then it is often the best to monitor every endpoint. However, you need to make sure to not be overzealous with enforcing rules and to give your employees some private corner that they can retreat to.
Tools for network monitoring and how to use them
Once the goals have been established and approach have been decided, all that is left is to select the best tools for the job.
There is no shortage of software and hardware on the market that can solve this problem, and your choice will always depend on the exact situation you’re in. As an example, we will give you a rundown of 5 different options you may want to consider.
Native router capabilities
The majority of routers do not allow any detailed traffic analysis. Some model, tough, have packet accounting that is broken down by IP. There are models that even allow assigning permanent IPs to all devices inside the network, making easy to analyse internet usage.
>See also: Securing DNS against threats from the Internet of Things
However, traffic usage data is very barebones and does not provide enough information for effective security or performance evaluation. Unusual spikes may allow you to determine when users are trying to copy sensitive data to the cloud without authorisation, or when they corporate network for streaming or torrenting instead of working. But this is by no means reliable and, ideally, should not be used as your only source of evidence.
All and all, while it can be an OK solution for very small startups, native router capabilities should not be used as your sole means of monitoring network usage. You would be better off looking into specialised software solutions that will give you much more data.
OpenDNS is an extended DNS server that allows corporate clients to not only monitor and analyse network usage but also to filter content and protect themselves from certain types of phishing and malware.
This service tracks DNS requests and sorts them based on the active directory names. This allows monitoring network usage based on individual accounts, knowing who accessed websites and when.
However, such service has its own set of limitations. It can’t distinguish between users of shared accounts, such as system administrators, which can be critical for security.
>See also: The Internet of the Seas sets sail
It also can’t determine how much time a user spends on the page. Whether the page was opened and left in the background, or it was actively used, can make a huge difference for performance evaluation.
All and all, OpenDNS is a great server for content filtering and passive security. It may save you some problems without the need to engage in rigorous monitoring, but it will hardly provide sufficient evidence to use in performance evaluations and data leakage investigation, not to mention the service inability to detect said leakage.
LibreNMS is a network monitoring solution that supports auto-discovery. The system is open source and thus available for free. However, this can be a double-edged sword, as open source software is usually more vulnerable to attacks and prone to errors and also often slower to update.
Despite all that, LibreNMS is a comprehensive network monitoring package that is easy to set up and use. Network discovery and distributed polling are great for large networks that keep getting bigger. Alerting allows you to easily make sense of what is going on in your network, quickly detecting unusual activity.
Overall, LibreNMS is similar in its capabilities to OpenDNS and has similar limitations. It can’t distinguish between users of shared accounts and doesn’t know what exactly user does with the data they access.
>See also: A super, super fast internet offering
However, while OpenDNS is more focused on security and content filtering, LibreNMS is much more oriented on network monitoring. Overall, it is a great free solution for anyone who wants to make sure that their network is used appropriately.
PRTG is a network monitoring tool created and distributed by Paessler. It is a commercial tool with free demo and freeware version available. This system monitors not only network status and usage, but also various other parameters within your domain, including hardware performance and usage, databases, and certain server applications.
>See also: Why data privacy is a good thing for your employees
Overall, PRTG is designed to give you all necessary information about the state of your network. Rather than performance evaluation and security, this tool is aimed more to help system administrators in designing and maintaining your network infrastructure.
Nevertheless, it can be used to get full internet activity data, that can be useful for performance evaluation and security purposes.
Ekran system
A purely network monitoring software is a big step above the regular built-in capabilities of certain router models, but in many cases it does not provide enough data to fully evaluate user activity on the network. What if several users are sharing the same account? How long they spend on a particular website and what they did there? What if they used a single page application that doesn’t send any additional DNS requests?
In these situations, an agent-based user actions monitoring solution, such as Ekran System, can provide all the missing data. Ekran System doesn’t monitor network activity by itself, but rather monitors all actions that users conduct on the endpoint.
It can distinguish between users of shared accounts due to additional authentication feature, and it can record what websites have been opened, and for how long, what user have done there and whether the window was in focus or not.
>See also: 5 benefits of using webinars to train new employees
A plethora of filters for video recording allows determining what exactly record and when, allowing you to conduct monitoring sparingly, respecting the privacy of your employees. At the same time, Ekran System also features robust alerting functionality, allowing to effectively detect insider threats and data leakage.
Ekran System is fairly affordable with the licensing based on the size of deployment. The one drawback of the solutions is that it does not monitor network traffic in and of itself. In this regard, Ekran System may be better used in tandem with network monitoring systems, such as LibreNMS.
As already mentioned above, the choice of your tool heavily depends on what you set out to achieve. Regardless, for all its complexity, the usefulness of network activity monitoring is hard to overstate.
And by taking the right approach and choosing the right tools you will be able to alleviate any negatives and concerns, strengthening your security and getting better performance out of your employees instead.
Sourced by Marcell Gogan at EkranSystem
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Nick Ismail
Nick Ismail is the editor for Information Age. He has a particular interest in smart technologies, AI and cyber security. More by Nick Ismail
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