Microsoft Office/Teams. Work privacy question.

18-01-2024 7:29pm #1

Hi, if you're familiar with Microsoft Teams, I'd appreciate your input. If a 'Chat' message is sent between 2 work colleagues; 1. Are those messages private? i.e. can 'work' access them? 2. Can the messages be deemed as a 'private conversation'? eg:. if information on a 3rd party/or the 'job' is disclosed/shared between the 2 people is it the same as, for example, an work email being sent with the same information - could it be seen as defamation as it was sent on a work system or can it be viewed a private conversation?

wench · 18-01-2024 7:47pm

If you're using a corporate system you should always assume that it can be read by the company.

As far as I know everything that goes through teams is logged on the server.

AndrewJRenko · 18-01-2024 7:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058332056/microsoft-office-teams-work-privacy-question

What does it say about privacy in the IT policy or usage policy that you signed when you joined or the policies that you clicked to agree to on screen?

Tow · 18-01-2024 9:57pm

Always assume work has full access to everything. Which is why you should have a work computer for work only and a private computer for everything else. Most larger companies also have the ability to remotely lock and wipe the work computer.

ItHurtsWhenIP · 18-01-2024 11:57pm

Always assume that communications using a company system can be monitored. There is almost certainly a statement to this effect in your staff handbook or company information security policy.

If you want to have a properly private chat with somebody, use Signal on ye're personal smartphones.

19-01-2024 11:26am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121636086#Comment_121636086

I'll find out. Thanks.

AndrewJRenko · 19-01-2024 11:42am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121638314#Comment_121638314

I think that's where your answer is. This isn't really a technology question. It is a corporate policy question.

19-01-2024 1:36pm

Thanks for the input. It's something that's been sent to me, was seen by a 3rd party and now I'm being asked to bring it out 'in the open', something I do not want to do as it was sent in confidence. Just wanting to see what my rights are in protecting the sender.

19-01-2024 1:38pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121638407#Comment_121638407

Yes, I was just curios as to what the technology side of these things is.

19-01-2024 1:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121637199#Comment_121637199

I had always wondered about using company wifi Vs my own signal... food for thought there.

ItHurtsWhenIP · 19-01-2024 2:47pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121639063#Comment_121639063

Sorry ... I made an assumption you may have been aware of the Signal Messenger app.

https://signal.org/

It's very similar to WhatsApp and it's end-to-end encryption protocol is the same as the one that WhatsApp uses, but the app doesn't monetise anything about your usage of the service like WhatsApp does.

AndrewJRenko · 19-01-2024 2:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121639051#Comment_121639051

A lot would depend as to whether this is work related or a personal matter, and whether the sender was internal to your organisation or external.

Flinty997 · 04-02-2024 11:31pm

1) Not private.

2) Can be accessed by admins. (Assuming they have skillset to do it).

As others have said it's more of policy question. What ever that says. If they told you it's not private in advance then it's not.

Personally I'd not use any work system, hardware or infrastructure for anything personal. Or anything you'd not be happy to see on 9 o'clock news.

Why are they even asking you. They can just get it themselves..

Microsoft Office/Teams. Work privacy question.

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