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Accused by IT guy of doing prohibited activity on work computer. What can I do?


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So there has a been a new IT head at my company that started a few months ago. He is very aggressive and doesn't socialize or talk to anyone really outside of his dept, ironically he sits right behind my dept.

 

Anyway yesterday I had a meeting with the VP and the IT head of my company. I was asked to be in a meeting with them abruptly with no indication what the topic would be. He had accused me of using an application that he claimed I had installed on my computer to download illegal tv shows. That they have been trying to track down this person for a long time at work. He said he deleted the application from my computer before I came in.

 

I was thrown off at the meeting and did not know how to fight back but I simply said this was news to me and had no idea this was going on. He was adamant and determined that I was guilty. I asked him to look into my computer history and track what I've downloaded and activity log for evidence, he refused to do it. Long story short, he took away certain user privileges from my computer which was the conclusion of the meeting.

 

I am actually very upset about this accusation and my reputation at work. This new guy who doesn't even know me or gives a damn. While I've been with the company for years. Worst of all he chose to go above me, talk to the owner of the company and then the owner told my VP to deal with this. Either IT fabricated this story or someone hacked my computer to install this application which I have never noticed before. As there is no proof it was ever installed nor is there proof that he uninstalled this application. So there is nothing for me to use to fight back but an empty accusation.

 

I tried looking through my application install log on my computer, but it's a poor alibi as it doesn't keep track of every little thing installed and only certain things. My co-workers says I shouldn't dwell on this and try to let it go. But maybe I should say something and send an email to him and my VP.

 

What should I do? Should I leave this alone? I am very upset about this.

Edited by monkey00
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Do you know anyone else in the IT department?

 

I wouldn't leave it alone.

 

I work in IT Security and there are ways to know whether you've done this or not. If you don't know anyone else in IT that might be able to help you, talk to HR.

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Do you know anyone else in the IT department?

 

I wouldn't leave it alone.

 

I work in IT Security and there are ways to know whether you've done this or not. If you don't know anyone else in IT that might be able to help you, talk to HR.

 

There are 2 other IT guys that work under him. But those were the ones he hired. I honestly don't know any of them well at all.

 

The previous 2 IT guys I knew very well, were with the company for years, and were on good terms with. Unfortunately they left the company around the time he started.

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whichwayisup

Talk to your boss about this. Your reputation should speak for itself and since you've been with the company for a long time and never had any issues, that has to be considered. You and your boss can talk to the VP together, hopefully the boss has your back on this.

 

Do other people use your computer or have access to it? Maybe cleaning or over night staff? ALL this info should be in the IT log, when stuff was downloaded etc.

 

You didn't do this so you have nothing to worry about it, though I do understand how shi.tty it is to be accused of something you haven't done.

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Eternal Sunshine

Do you think he made a mistake or did this on purpose?

 

You need to talk to someone who is in position of power and has your back. I wouldn't just let this go.

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Talk to your boss about this. Your reputation should speak for itself and since you've been with the company for a long time and never had any issues, that has to be considered. You and your boss can talk to the VP together, hopefully the boss has your back on this.

 

Do other people use your computer or have access to it? Maybe cleaning or over night staff? ALL this info should be in the IT log, when stuff was downloaded etc.

 

You didn't do this so you have nothing to worry about it, though I do understand how shi.tty it is to be accused of something you haven't done.

 

The IT team and people in my department know my log-in. I trust my dept as we are very close and we usually do not go on each other's computer. I think the problem with my log-in is that it is very easy to figure out. Anyone who's anyone can figure it out and go on my computer if they wanted to.

 

I don't know if or what kind of IT log they keep but so far it doesn't seem like they do at all.

 

Thanks. I think I'll talk to my VP about this today and only her. She's the closest thing to HR.

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Do you think he made a mistake or did this on purpose?

 

You need to talk to someone who is in position of power and has your back. I wouldn't just let this go.

 

My co-worker thinks he did this for an ego trip which I agree with. If he really wanted to solve this problem without risking getting someone fired, he should have approached me directly or my department head. It's just very unprofessional and impersonal how it was handled. That's just not how you do things in a work environment.

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The IT team and people in my department know my log-in. I trust my dept as we are very close and we usually do not go on each other's computer. I think the problem with my log-in is that it is very easy to figure out. Anyone who's anyone can figure it out and go on my computer if they wanted to.

 

I don't know if or what kind of IT log they keep but so far it doesn't seem like they do at all.

 

Thanks. I think I'll talk to my VP about this today and only her. She's the closest thing to HR.

NEVER EVER share your log in. You are held accountable for everything that happens no matter what.

 

Don't you guys sign user briefs, have user training?

 

Curious? What kind of company do you work for?

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NEVER EVER share your log in. You are held accountable for everything that happens no matter what.

 

Don't you guys sign user briefs, have user training?

 

Curious? What kind of company do you work for?

 

It's a creative company. We deal with photography.

 

I also have a hunch he did this because I disabled from my machine IT's ability to log-in to my computer remotely. By default it is enabled on all work computers. After the meeting, I checked and saw he re-enabled it on my machine.

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NEVER EVER share your log in. You are held accountable for everything that happens no matter what.

 

Don't you guys sign user briefs, have user training?

 

Curious? What kind of company do you work for?

 

This. I also agree that there are other external ways the IT dept can locate your history even if you erase it from your computer. Look into it.

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I find it very odd that he deleted all of evidence before making the accusation, and now refuses to participate in his burden of proof.

 

Tell your boss that you have no idea what he is talking about, and since he can't / won't prove it, his accusations are unfounded.

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whichwayisup
It's a creative company. We deal with photography.

 

I also have a hunch he did this because I disabled from my machine IT's ability to log-in to my computer remotely. By default it is enabled on all work computers. After the meeting, I checked and saw he re-enabled it on my machine.

 

Why did you disable it? This is probably why he assumes it was you who did the downloading and it made him wonder why you'd disable something that everybody has on their computers.

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Why did you disable it? This is probably why he assumes it was you who did the downloading and it made him wonder why you'd disable something that everybody has on their computers.

 

It's standard IT policy in the vast majority of companies to have this feature in place for everyone. It's mainly so techs have the ability to assist you easily, but it can also be used to monitor problem employees.

 

As an IT person, if someone did this, I would be on to them for a very long time and probably lower their privileges so they could make no further changes to the computer.

 

In fact, I'm actually confused why would you even have privileges to install software on your computer. Most companies do not allow this. Are you normally able to install software? If not, I'd love to see how the IT guy explains the software being there, since you could not have installed it.

 

Either way, I do think his behavior is shady as hell. It's pretty darn easy to collect proof of an employee's activities, so even if he chose to delete it from your computer, it should be no big deal for him to show that it was there, and what was being done with it.

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It's standard IT policy in the vast majority of companies to have this feature in place for everyone. It's mainly so techs have the ability to assist you easily, but it can also be used to monitor problem employees.

 

As an IT person, if someone did this, I would be on to them for a very long time and probably lower their privileges so they could make no further changes to the computer.

 

In fact, I'm actually confused why would you even have privileges to install software on your computer. Most companies do not allow this. Are you normally able to install software? If not, I'd love to see how the IT guy explains the software being there, since you could not have installed it.

 

Either way, I do think his behavior is shady as hell. It's pretty darn easy to collect proof of an employee's activities, so even if he chose to delete it from your computer, it should be no big deal for him to show that it was there, and what was being done with it.

 

I agree. At my previous job, we had to have IT install any applications we wanted to use (itunes, browsers, etc), or temporarily allow us to download applications.

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What should I do? Should I leave this alone? I am very upset about this.

 

Feeling upset is normal.

 

You've had a meeting. You stated your truth that you knew nothing of what was going on.

 

I'd leave it at that and, if you're a high-timer with a big salary, get further, off-the-record, advice from a labor attorney, as your long-term employment record is in jeopardy of being tarnished, which could be damaging to you moving forward. IMO, it's worth it to be apprised of your legal rights and responsibilities.

 

If it were me, I'd focus in on the job and filter out this extraneous noise and not discuss it with anyone, save for my attorney. Business as usual.

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My co-worker thinks he did this for an ego trip which I agree with. If he really wanted to solve this problem without risking getting someone fired, he should have approached me directly or my department head. It's just very unprofessional and impersonal how it was handled. That's just not how you do things in a work environment.
I think there are protocols the IT department has to follow if illegal activity is happening on a work computer. One of them probably is not to confront the employee directly. Instead they report it to the employee's direct supervisor. But there most likely should have been documented proof. That's the strange part here that the I.T. guy does not show you proof.

 

Starting immediately I wouldn't use the work computer for ANY personal browsing (not even checking a movie show time or answering an e-mail from your family member). If you have a smart phone don't use the office's WIFI either. Your online activities are being tracked by this I.T. person. Could lead to termination with cause since you've already been given a formal reprimand/consequences.

 

 

If I were in your shoes, I'd pursue an investigation of the original accusations by working through your VP and/or HR. I'd want to know exact times and days the illegal activities were happening. You could have substantiated alibis: You were in a conference room work session with co-workers and the VP while someone else was messing around on your computer!

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If I were in your shoes, I'd pursue an investigation of the original accusations by working through your VP and/or HR. I'd want to know exact times and days the illegal activities were happening. You could have substantiated alibis: You were in a conference room work session with co-workers and the VP while someone else was messing around on your computer!

 

That's absolutely right. An employee shouldn't have their reputation and work history tainted just on the word of an IT employee. If you did something illegal on the computer, they need to prove it.

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Thanks for all the responses. Though I wish I would have read the rest of the responses before pursuing my VP to get closure on the situation.

 

Accordingly there was some kind of evidence that was presented to my boss. Thus my boss told my VP to hold a meeting to discuss to make sure it doesn't happen again. The fishy thing of all is I still have not seen any of this so called evidence, so this has to be a conspiracy of sorts. Either that someone has hacked into my computer or logged into my computer and doing this when I am not around.

 

Currently they are giving me the benefit of the doubt in that they don't believe I knew my actions were illegal. At the end of the day I am still guilty of the accusations. I have suggested someone else logged in or hacked my computer, but it is hard to believe such a claim as I have no evidence.

 

I really wish I would have asked to see the evidence, but this is it. I can't push this topic anymore. Supposedly my boss and VP don't think this was a big deal as they are letting it slide. But I don't know if that's enough.

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Thanks for all the responses. Though I wish I would have read the rest of the responses before pursuing my VP to get closure on the situation.

 

Accordingly there was some kind of evidence that was presented to my boss. Thus my boss told my VP to hold a meeting to discuss to make sure it doesn't happen again. The fishy thing of all is I still have not seen any of this so called evidence, so this has to be a conspiracy of sorts. Either that someone has hacked into my computer or logged into my computer and doing this when I am not around.

 

Currently they are giving me the benefit of the doubt in that they don't believe I knew my actions were illegal. At the end of the day I am still guilty of the accusations. I have suggested someone else logged in or hacked my computer, but it is hard to believe such a claim as I have no evidence.

 

I really wish I would have asked to see the evidence, but this is it. I can't push this topic anymore. Supposedly my boss and VP don't think this was a big deal as they are letting it slide. But I don't know if that's enough.

 

The first thing you need to do is change your password so only YOU have access to your account. IT should have protocols that they follow and shouldn't be doing any remote work on your system without your knowledge.

 

Never ever ever share your account.

 

Nobody should be on your system other than you. As I said before you and only you are responsible for any activity on your system under your profile.

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Thanks for all the responses. Though I wish I would have read the rest of the responses before pursuing my VP to get closure on the situation.

 

Accordingly there was some kind of evidence that was presented to my boss. Thus my boss told my VP to hold a meeting to discuss to make sure it doesn't happen again. The fishy thing of all is I still have not seen any of this so called evidence, so this has to be a conspiracy of sorts. Either that someone has hacked into my computer or logged into my computer and doing this when I am not around.

 

Currently they are giving me the benefit of the doubt in that they don't believe I knew my actions were illegal. At the end of the day I am still guilty of the accusations. I have suggested someone else logged in or hacked my computer, but it is hard to believe such a claim as I have no evidence.

 

I really wish I would have asked to see the evidence, but this is it. I can't push this topic anymore. Supposedly my boss and VP don't think this was a big deal as they are letting it slide. But I don't know if that's enough.

 

It's quite possible this IT guy or someone in your dept did something to exploit you. You can't be sure since other people know your password. As someone else already said, do not ever give out your passwords from now on. Change it right away and tell no one. And I agree that from now on no more personal browsing...the IT guy could easily access all this if he wanted...including using it against you if he can

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It's quite possible this IT guy or someone in your dept did something to exploit you. You can't be sure since other people know your password. As someone else already said, do not ever give out your passwords from now on. Change it right away and tell no one. And I agree that from now on no more personal browsing...the IT guy could easily access all this if he wanted...including using it against you if he can

 

I changed my work email and computer logins today. That is what I am paranoid about now is he will exploit me or may have cruel intentions now that my boss is siding with him. It doesn't matter for IT, they will always know my log-in no matter what I change it to. I agree, less personal web-browsing.

 

But regardless of remote access for IT or not with my machine, they sit directly behind me. So they can see exactly what I'm doing. I disabled remote access initially because anyone who's anyone on the network at work can connect remotely to anyone's computer, you don't even have to be IT. Other departments, boss, etc. In essence, everyone on the network is vulnerable to NSA'esque style spying.

 

The saddest thing of all is neither my boss or VP cared enough to ask me directly whether any of the accusations were true. Of which the 2 I have worked with for years and see day in and out. They never doubted the new IT guy but doubted me.

 

This has got me thinking of my next move and finding another job. This and many other reasons why I need to move on to a different place. With all the new people, the work culture is not the same as it used to be.

Edited by monkey00
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One further suggestion: Make a hard copy, not electronic, journal of what has occurred and append it with any evidence you can collect. Essentially, build a dossier on the issue and keep it, along with a copy of your employee handbook and any employment contract, in a safe place. Sometimes the devil is in the details and what might seem insignificant now could be important down the road.

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I see this as a positioning for removal or firing an employee, grounds have now been created and they can fire you for cause instantly.

 

I would most certainly go to the VP or owner of the company and have a pow wow with them, position yourself as clearing your name rather than going after the IT guy.

 

We have fired people for searching for a job on company hardware every day they came to work and have also written someone up for having emule installed on their computer and downloading copyrighted music.

 

The IT guy seems like a loser, no evidence to back up the write up is unprofessional.

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One further suggestion: Make a hard copy, not electronic, journal of what has occurred and append it with any evidence you can collect. Essentially, build a dossier on the issue and keep it, along with a copy of your employee handbook and any employment contract, in a safe place. Sometimes the devil is in the details and what might seem insignificant now could be important down the road.

 

That's an excellent suggestion carhill. I'll do that.

 

I see this as a positioning for removal or firing an employee, grounds have now been created and they can fire you for cause instantly.

 

I would most certainly go to the VP or owner of the company and have a pow wow with them, position yourself as clearing your name rather than going after the IT guy.

 

We have fired people for searching for a job on company hardware every day they came to work and have also written someone up for having emule installed on their computer and downloading copyrighted music.

 

The IT guy seems like a loser, no evidence to back up the write up is unprofessional.

 

That is what I fear the most. I already have one strike against me. Whose to say if there are other claims that arise against me could get me fired. The meeting was completely unprofessional but just a sit down and talk. I agree about him being a loser, he doesn't know who I am or give a damn. He doesn't care if I am innocent or guilty. Why should he care if he gets me fired?

 

One of the many reasons why I dislike dealing with people in positions of power/managerial. Power corrupts people and they need to feed on ego-trips to make themselves feel better. It's like a bad drug.

 

Supposedly my user credentials to install applications are disabled, so this will protect me of any future wrongdoing or claims of prohibited software being installed. At least I have that to protect me of future accusations. I will just have to keep personal browsing to a minimum and just focus squarely on work.

 

I reached out to the VP already in the stance of clearing my name, and I hope that she has relayed what we discussed to the boss. I do not dare to reach out to my boss as I don't want to frustrate him or think I am trying to weasel my way out of this. Plus he is a busy person. I think the more talking I do and convincing I do, the more guilty I feel I will appear. Either way at the end of the day, I don't think anyone really cares about my reputation. Everyone's too busy watching out for their own butts. I told my 2 closest coworkers about this, they empathized with me and offered advice. But I do not know if the time comes that they would have my back.

Edited by monkey00
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Sorry that this happened to you monkey00. I agree with the others that your coworker probably did this to sabotage your reputation so that he could advance his own work agenda at your company. There are weasels in this world and your co-worker is definitely a major weasel.

 

The fact that the meeting was sprung on you, was totally conversational and unprofessional shows that no one in that meeting had your best interest in mind, which is pathetic.

 

I'm with Carhill and Art Critic. You've been set up to eventually be fired, as you're now in a very vulnerable position. Your instinct not to sabotage your saboteur is right on. Focus your energy on networking with an IT head hunter (contact a few IT agencies who will find you another long term contract job) when you're NOT at your job. Your bosses possibly may be waiting for you to make a small mistake while on the job, to use as the reason to fire you, since most states are now "fire at will" states, which gives the employer all the power to fire an employee for any reason they want. It's sadistic but it's reality. Power to the People? More like, Power to the Corporation.

 

Keep your ears pricked and your eyes peeled for any you-centric gossip, as social relationships at the workplace and gossip are what's used to get people fired who are total victims b/c they are usually nice people who are unaware that someone else perceives them as a threat (and its usually b/c the other person's ego is weak or inflated).

 

Don't confide in your two coworkers anymore about your issues as they could turn on you. Instead, document, document document. Write everything that you do for work down on a list.

 

Write down dates/times of days starting from when this all happened, when the meeting took place. Your goal is to write everything down that happens from this point forward so that you have a written record to protect yourself from any more lies that your weasel coworker tells.

 

And even if you have to put on a fake smile, try to fake it til you make it with your weasel coworker. Let him know that you want to have a good work relationship with him, so that makes you look like the good guy (which you are, obviously) to him and to everyone around you. The less you whine to your coworkers, the less you gossip and complain about him behind his back, the better off you are in the long run (don't forget, start networking for a new job that has a less toxic work environment than your current work place).

 

And remember that your bosses are not total morons. They probably can see that your coworker purposely undermined you the way he lied and refused to back up his lies with real proof. But if your bosses are morons, then just fake it that you're happy there until you can secure another job for yourself. I hope you can line up a better job. You don't deserve this kind of crap.

Edited by writergal
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