Comments on: Monitoring Your Church Staff's Internet Usage http://churchm.ag/monitoring-your-church-staffs-internet-usage/ Exploring the Intersection of Church and Technology Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:00:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: John VanArtsdalen http://churchm.ag/monitoring-your-church-staffs-internet-usage/#comment-14686 John VanArtsdalen Fri, 11 Mar 2011 16:01:08 +0000 http://churchit.com/?p=313#comment-14686 My senior pastor went through emails that were sent from a church member (from their home PC) and addressed to a staff member (at their church email address) who was recently "dismissed". The emails were thought to be private and discussed the senior pastor's questionable actions. That member was called in to the senior pastor's office to discuss that content of the emails. They strongly disagree with each other on the pastor's right to do so. This is just the tip of a big, ugly iceberg and (my opinion) a symptom of much bigger problems. Please pray for all concerned. My senior pastor went through emails that were sent from a church member (from their home PC) and addressed to a staff member (at their church email address) who was recently “dismissed”. The emails were thought to be private and discussed the senior pastor’s questionable actions. That member was called in to the senior pastor’s office to discuss that content of the emails. They strongly disagree with each other on the pastor’s right to do so. This is just the tip of a big, ugly iceberg and (my opinion) a symptom of much bigger problems. Please pray for all concerned.

]]> By: kennysnow http://churchm.ag/monitoring-your-church-staffs-internet-usage/#comment-14685 kennysnow Wed, 24 Mar 2010 13:29:34 +0000 http://churchit.com/?p=313#comment-14685 I'm not going to chime in on the philosophy of filtering/monitoring here, but I've had to deal with the topic quite a bit as an I.T. director for a church and private school. Legally I MUST filter any internet access given to students, and doing that cheaply and effectively has proven a bit of a challenge. I like free tools a lot :) Here are some options to help you if you ever need to filter your internet access, either at home or as an I.T. manager. I usually go for network-wide tools, the desktop based software options are really easily avoided or disabled. www.opendns.org - as I stated in a comment response, I really don't see any reason not to use this service for any organization. Provides a nice overall filter, blocks by category. If nothing else, block porn - seriously. Nothing more embarrassing for a church employee than to be accidentally exposed to something they didn't mean to go to...and embarrassed is the best case scenario. Very little networking experience needed, other than understanding of how to set your router's DNS servers. www.untangle.com - if you want more control over your filtering, and want an in-house solution. Basic package is free, and pretty easy to setup if you have medium level networking experience (and if you don't, this might be a good way to learn :) ) I use this one to provide "extra" filtering for my computer labs. All you need is an older computer (make sure it has a good bit of RAM though) with 2 network cards in it (it basically acts as a router/gateway). If you REALLY want control, and you're pretty experienced with linux, I used to use IPCop to do what untangle does for me now. Open source, but not for the faint of heart. The basic install isn't too difficult, but once you get past that...know what you're doing. http://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/ipcop/wiki Hope that helps someone! I’m not going to chime in on the philosophy of filtering/monitoring here, but I’ve had to deal with the topic quite a bit as an I.T. director for a church and private school. Legally I MUST filter any internet access given to students, and doing that cheaply and effectively has proven a bit of a challenge. I like free tools a lot :)

Here are some options to help you if you ever need to filter your internet access, either at home or as an I.T. manager. I usually go for network-wide tools, the desktop based software options are really easily avoided or disabled.

http://www.opendns.org – as I stated in a comment response, I really don’t see any reason not to use this service for any organization. Provides a nice overall filter, blocks by category. If nothing else, block porn – seriously. Nothing more embarrassing for a church employee than to be accidentally exposed to something they didn’t mean to go to…and embarrassed is the best case scenario. Very little networking experience needed, other than understanding of how to set your router’s DNS servers.

http://www.untangle.com – if you want more control over your filtering, and want an in-house solution. Basic package is free, and pretty easy to setup if you have medium level networking experience (and if you don’t, this might be a good way to learn :) ) I use this one to provide “extra” filtering for my computer labs. All you need is an older computer (make sure it has a good bit of RAM though) with 2 network cards in it (it basically acts as a router/gateway).

If you REALLY want control, and you’re pretty experienced with linux, I used to use IPCop to do what untangle does for me now. Open source, but not for the faint of heart. The basic install isn’t too difficult, but once you get past that…know what you’re doing.
http://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/ipcop/wiki

Hope that helps someone!

]]> By: kennysnow http://churchm.ag/monitoring-your-church-staffs-internet-usage/#comment-14684 kennysnow Wed, 24 Mar 2010 13:16:08 +0000 http://churchit.com/?p=313#comment-14684 If you're not using anything else at your church, you really should be using OpenDNS. It's free, extremely easy to set up, and it will just be another layer of security if you are planning on doing something more intensive network wise later. It doesn't help you monitor staff internet use, but it does filter it - which is all I'm worried about at the moment. You can whitelist/blacklist as well. If you’re not using anything else at your church, you really should be using OpenDNS. It’s free, extremely easy to set up, and it will just be another layer of security if you are planning on doing something more intensive network wise later. It doesn’t help you monitor staff internet use, but it does filter it – which is all I’m worried about at the moment. You can whitelist/blacklist as well.

]]> By: Stuart Dyckhoff http://churchm.ag/monitoring-your-church-staffs-internet-usage/#comment-14683 Stuart Dyckhoff Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:45:05 +0000 http://churchit.com/?p=313#comment-14683 OK understood - you and I, I think, are coming from the same playbook. It's just a usage of emotive words that gets to me ;) I totally disagree with real time monitoring and using VNC or its ilk to piggyback on to someone's session. Unless they are suspected of some wrong doing and have been pre-informed (agin in the UK) then that action is against the alw and totally reprehensible. OK understood – you and I, I think, are coming from the same playbook. It’s just a usage of emotive words that gets to me ;)

I totally disagree with real time monitoring and using VNC or its ilk to piggyback on to someone’s session. Unless they are suspected of some wrong doing and have been pre-informed (agin in the UK) then that action is against the alw and totally reprehensible.

]]> By: Brian http://churchm.ag/monitoring-your-church-staffs-internet-usage/#comment-14682 Brian Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:05:14 +0000 http://churchit.com/?p=313#comment-14682 When I look at the router logs it gives me what sites were visited and at what time along with the MAC address of the computer. I don't know the MAC address for each computer by heart so I don't really know who was looking at what just that someone did. If it was something serious I could look it up. The previous head of IT here had some pretty serious monitoring software installed and he got real time feeds of internet activity like who went where and for how long. He also used our remote access program, VNC, to watch what people were doing on their computer including reading their emails and instant messaging conversations. The funny thing is that he had all these monitoring measures in place but did nothing to filter or block certain aspects of the internet. The first thing I did when I took over was to delete the monitoring software and then block things like IM-ing. When I look at the router logs it gives me what sites were visited and at what time along with the MAC address of the computer. I don’t know the MAC address for each computer by heart so I don’t really know who was looking at what just that someone did. If it was something serious I could look it up. The previous head of IT here had some pretty serious monitoring software installed and he got real time feeds of internet activity like who went where and for how long. He also used our remote access program, VNC, to watch what people were doing on their computer including reading their emails and instant messaging conversations. The funny thing is that he had all these monitoring measures in place but did nothing to filter or block certain aspects of the internet. The first thing I did when I took over was to delete the monitoring software and then block things like IM-ing.

]]> By: Stuart Dyckhoff http://churchm.ag/monitoring-your-church-staffs-internet-usage/#comment-14681 Stuart Dyckhoff Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:30:46 +0000 http://churchit.com/?p=313#comment-14681 But checking the logs is not spying? As an employer they have the right (in the UK certainly) to monitor so long as it is clearly stated that this is the situatuon. That isn't spying, that's called good stewardship of your resources. As I say - spying is a very emotive term. I won't address your other points here as they are just extending the debate outside of the current discussion and will only dilute what is being said. But do feel free to stop by and comment on my blog if you wish. But checking the logs is not spying?

As an employer they have the right (in the UK certainly) to monitor so long as it is clearly stated that this is the situatuon. That isn’t spying, that’s called good stewardship of your resources.

As I say – spying is a very emotive term. I won’t address your other points here as they are just extending the debate outside of the current discussion and will only dilute what is being said. But do feel free to stop by and comment on my blog if you wish.

]]> By: Brian http://churchm.ag/monitoring-your-church-staffs-internet-usage/#comment-14680 Brian Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:30:42 +0000 http://churchit.com/?p=313#comment-14680 I agree that whether it's in your home, church, or workplace it's usually not a good idea to have totally open access to the internet. At work I use a combination of port blocking and forwarding plus a block list for certain sites all done using the router. About twice a month I check the router's log to see if there's a site that might be a problem. I do not like or use any "active" monitoring software. It is in fact "spying" in every since of the word. You can say that a church has every right to monitor its staff to make sure they're not doing anything that could hurt the church, but to what end? Are you going to monitor their emails? What about their phone calls? How about who they associate with both at the church and outside? Maybe some cameras? Spying is like lying; it's never little, light, or harmless. I agree that whether it’s in your home, church, or workplace it’s usually not a good idea to have totally open access to the internet. At work I use a combination of port blocking and forwarding plus a block list for certain sites all done using the router. About twice a month I check the router’s log to see if there’s a site that might be a problem. I do not like or use any “active” monitoring software. It is in fact “spying” in every since of the word. You can say that a church has every right to monitor its staff to make sure they’re not doing anything that could hurt the church, but to what end? Are you going to monitor their emails? What about their phone calls? How about who they associate with both at the church and outside? Maybe some cameras? Spying is like lying; it’s never little, light, or harmless.

]]> By: Stuart Dyckhoff http://churchm.ag/monitoring-your-church-staffs-internet-usage/#comment-14679 Stuart Dyckhoff Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:55:29 +0000 http://churchit.com/?p=313#comment-14679 Brian - thanks for the clarification and I have read your comment several times over ... and several times again just now. The main point that comes across to me (and I stress the "to me") is the one of it being seen as spying. My post was not set out to offend and I trust that hasn't happened but it was intended to outline my views. Thanks for your response. Brian – thanks for the clarification and I have read your comment several times over … and several times again just now.

The main point that comes across to me (and I stress the “to me”) is the one of it being seen as spying. My post was not set out to offend and I trust that hasn’t happened but it was intended to outline my views. Thanks for your response.

]]> By: Brian http://churchm.ag/monitoring-your-church-staffs-internet-usage/#comment-14678 Brian Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:45:30 +0000 http://churchit.com/?p=313#comment-14678 I read your blog and you're totally right. I would however suggest you read my post again. My point was to provide your computer users with limited or filtered access of the internet instead of monitoring their use of it. I read your blog and you’re totally right. I would however suggest you read my post again. My point was to provide your computer users with limited or filtered access of the internet instead of monitoring their use of it.

]]> By: Spying On Staff http://churchm.ag/monitoring-your-church-staffs-internet-usage/#comment-14677 Spying On Staff Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:42:14 +0000 http://churchit.com/?p=313#comment-14677 [...] John over at Church IT has put up a short post about “Monitoring Your Church Staff’s Internet Usage“. [...] [...] John over at Church IT has put up a short post about “Monitoring Your Church Staff’s Internet Usage“. [...]

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