Monitoring internet usage can be done by installing a keystroke logger or a program that logs visited websites. This is legal for home use, but can raise privacy concerns in the workplace. Keystroke loggers can track all keystrokes, including passwords, while website tracking programs are more reliable. Custom solutions are available for companies.
While some people are interested in monitoring how much bandwidth a person is using, most people who want to monitor internet usage are more interested in the content displayed on their computer. There are many different programs available for this purpose, although they all do essentially the same thing. Typically, the procedure used to track Internet use involves installing a keystroke logger or a special program that logs the websites you visit on your computer. There are sometimes privacy concerns when a company uses these programs on employees without their knowledge, but this type of program is usually legal to use in homes.
For many people with simple concerns about, say, children’s Internet usage, a simple keystroke logger can help track Internet usage. This type of program will log every keystroke you make on your computer, meaning that it not only logs what a person types and searches, but also logs passwords and usernames on various sites. Unfortunately, this can be a big problem if anyone other than someone’s children use a computer, as adult passwords can be logged by the logger. Also, when a person uses their mouse to click on things online, this information isn’t logged.
In order to know which websites a computer has visited, it is usually necessary to install some type of Internet tracking program. These are sold under many names, including nanny programs and computer monitoring programs. Many companies where employees use computers use this type of program to make sure that employees are actually working on computers. This type of program is more reliable than just checking the browser history, as in most cases it cannot be deleted by the user, although some experienced users can find a way around the program.
It’s also sometimes possible to track Internet usage on a computer that someone doesn’t have regular access to. This can be ideal if the computer is a work computer or is located in a child’s bedroom. The way this type of program works is by sending regular reports to an email address rather than requiring a person to log into the computer to access the reports. Often, this means that the tracking can be secret until the person using the computer knows much about it.
For companies and large companies, custom solutions can often be found. These can be completely invisible to employees and track everything that is done on a server. At home, it’s usually not that important to monitor your Internet usage so accurately. Even knowing the websites visited and their keystrokes can be enough to figure out what a person is doing online.
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