No matter how many employees you have, if you are an owner or a manager, there is always that nagging concern that they are doing something they shouldn’t. While not everyone will work in the way we would like, it is essential to know if they are breaking policies or threatening the future of the company.
Employee monitoring software can help to make sure you know when negative actions are performed so that they can either be blocked or dealt with swiftly. Merely knowing that something has occurred can save the company from data breaches, production issues, wasted time and resources, reduced productivity, and much more.
Additionally, unhappy employees or those that have external influence may decide to sabotage your business from the inside. If this goes unnoticed, the behavior can escalate to higher levels and potential damages. It is essential to catch insider threats as swiftly as possible and resolve them before they result in dire consequences.
What to Look for in Activity Monitoring Software for Windows
If you want to monitor how your staff is using their devices, make sure that the activity monitor for Windows that you choose includes all of these features:
SCREENSHOTS – Having proof of what happened is important, especially when mistakes happen or there is an internal threat. Having screenshots is essential to present to the staff as proof of their actions.
WEB SEARCHES – There are plenty of places on the web where staff shouldn’t go, such as dangerous websites and the dark web. Having a log of sites visited is an extra layer of evidence and prevention.
WEBSITE INTERACTIONS – Knowing which sites are used the most can uncover a variety of issues. It could be merely wasting office time, but it could also be dark web auction sites. Knowing which websites are visited can flag problems quickly.
FILE MOVEMENT, UPLOADS & DOWNLOADS – Data is one of the company’s most valuable assets. You need to know how and where it is moved at all times. If a staff member uploads confidential files to their personal storage, it may be for working on later, but it could also be a breach of company policy or even data theft.
USE OF USB OR EXTERNAL DEVICES – As with file movements, USBs or any external drives need to be monitored closely. Not only can they be used to remove or add data to the company network, but they can also introduce viruses and more. Make sure that staff members are not using their personal USBs or external devices for work use.
EMAIL & WEBMAIL – Email monitoring can flag unhappy staff, notify when abuse is happening in the workplace, or even help to prevent a data breach. Unhappy staff or malicious insiders can often be highlighted by email.
UNUSUAL BEHAVIOR – When a staff member suddenly changes their approach to work, there is often a reason. Sometimes it is as simple as health issues, or wanting to change their work methods. However, it can also be caused by financial stresses, desires for revenge against the company, or external factors such as bribery for sabotage or data access.
PRODUCTIVITY TRACKING – This feature can be used to both address productivity issues and reward staff. By highlighting the bottlenecks, unproductive staff and efficiency can be boosted. However, it can be increased even further by providing rewards to good workers and using the information in performance reviews. Try to make this more about the positives than negatives to motivate your staff.
SOCIAL MEDIA, INSTANT MESSAGING & CHATS – Lots of work hours can be wasted on these applications. However, they can also be key signals for internal threats and unhappy staff members.
APPLICATION USE – It is useful to see what amount of time is spent on which applications. It can help to show how much time is work-focused, but may also highlight applications that are hindering productivity and need replacing.
NETWORK ACCESS – External networks can be a threat to data. Blocking, encrypting, and monitoring external network access is vital to data security.
PRINT TRACKING – Know what is printed and when. Digital data can be transmitted the ‘old fashioned way’ too.
KEYLOGGING – Know exactly what is entered on a keyboard by any staff member. Have the proof that they entered the details that caused a problem. AI also monitors all of these keystrokes for potential issues.
GEOLOCATION – Know where your devices are at any given time. Great for peace of mind and device recovery. Also useful for monitoring a staff member suspected of selling data.
Activity Monitor for Windows Made Easy
If you made it this far, you must now want an all-inclusive activity monitor for Windows. We specialize in staff monitoring and corporate cybersecurity services. Our software can provide all of the above with advanced AI analysis of data, meaning that everything is monitored all of the time, simultaneously. Protect your company, improve productivity, and motivate your employees by signing up for an Activity Monitor Software today!
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