does a VPN still work after connecting to the wifi at work?

[advancebooking]

If I connect to the works wifi with my user id and password and then turn on my VPN does it mean that Im still surfing anonymously?

I want to know in case I do either of the following at work:

1. download movies from piratebay

2. fill out a form on a government website back home where I obviously want their systems to think that Im currently there.

thanks

[SoiBiker]

It depends if your work's wifi allows the VPN to work.

I wouldn't recommend downloading movies illegally on work time either way, though.

[Chicog]

If it was my company network and I caught you either using a VPN to bypass the security measures, or downloading torrents, you'd be out on your ar$e.

I'm not sure how your own IT people would react though.

[advancebooking]

If it was my company network and I caught you either using a VPN to bypass the security measures, or downloading torrents, you'd be out on your ar$e.

I'm not sure how your own IT people would react though.

Making judgements based on your crude use of the English language I can only presume that your not capable of having your own company. A bar stool in pats might be more your thing. Thanks for your comment in any case.

[Chicog]

If it was my company network and I caught you either using a VPN to bypass the security measures, or downloading torrents, you'd be out on your ar$e.

I'm not sure how your own IT people would react though.

Making judgements based on your crude use of the English language I can only presume that your not capable of having your own company. A bar stool in pats might be more your thing. Thanks for your comment in any case.

Regardless of your interpretation of my comments, your reckless use of your company network could and should merit you getting the sack.

Why don't you just go and ask your network administrator what he thinks?

[Lannig]

Whom do you think you are to lecture the guy like this?

I'm a sysadmin too, I would much object to people doing this where I work, but what the OP does is his business and not ours. He's not an employee of either of our businesses. Why should we care? we don't even know what their policies are.

And that was not his question anyway.

To the OP: generally speaking, yes, if you use a VPN the source IP will be seen as coming from your VPN operator wherever you connect from.

However if you're doing this from a computer at work, especially if it's joined to a company's Active Directory, local policies might well defeat the VPN client, so I'd be cautious.

If that's your own private computer hooked to the company's network without any further integration, then I'd say that the VPN will probably work as intended. Always browse to a "show my IP" site (Google for it) before doing anything to make sure that the displayed IP is not your company's.

Note that you might well be unable to establish the VPN connection due to network filtering at the border...

[sniffdog]

Never mind chicog ... He's got too much sand in his eyes. Thats what you get when you in the desert.

[impulse]

Whom do you think you are to lecture the guy like this?

While the tone of the lectures may have been a little over the top, I think it's of service to point out that just because something will work, and can physically be done.- doesn't mean it won't cause huge problems once it has been done.

The time to consider the consequences is before the action is taken.

[WhizBang]

If it was my company network and I caught you either using a VPN to bypass the security measures, or downloading torrents, you'd be out on your ar$e.

I'm not sure how your own IT people would react though.

Agree absolutely. If you are employed by me, you are misusing my network, and I would fire you in a heartbeat.

PS: I AM an employer

Edited May 30, 2016 by WhizBang

[Lannig]

I think that we can assume that the OP is a grown-up and fully realizes the consequences of his actions.

The fact that he precisely wants to use a VPN to download stuff makes me think he does.

He probably doesn't care what either of us would do if we were his sysadmin or boss, and rightly so.

Edited May 30, 2016 by Lannig

[Chicog]

I think that we can assume that the OP is a grown-up and fully realizes the consequences of his actions.

The fact that he precisely wants to use a VPN to download stuff makes me think he does.

He probably doesn't care what either of us would do if we were his sysadmin or boss, and rightly so.

Well he should.

Because other people end up having to clear up messes created by chumps like this.

All of this stuff can be done at home.

Edited May 30, 2016 by Chicog

[SoiBiker]

I think that we can assume that the OP is a grown-up and fully realizes the consequences of his actions.

The fact that he precisely wants to use a VPN to download stuff makes me think he does.

He probably doesn't care what either of us would do if we were his sysadmin or boss, and rightly so.

The mere fact that he's asking this question suggests he doesn't understand the implications.

OP - yes, you could. But no, you shouldn't. You might be anonymous to the end-point of your connection - but your employer, whilst they may not be able to see what you're doing, will at least be able to tell you're using a VPN to hide your actions from them. Which ought to be enough to cause them to ask you some very awkward questions. Wait until you get home.

Edited May 30, 2016 by SoiBiker

[Lannig]

OP - yes, you could. But no, you shouldn't. You might be anonymous to the end-point of your connection - but your employer, whilst they may not be able to see what you're doing, will at least be able to tell you're using a VPN to hide your actions from them. Which ought to be enough to cause them to ask you some very awkward questions. Wait until you get home.

How so? Most SSL VPNs route traffic over port 443 that is barely distinguishable from the browsing of regular https sites. Only the volume of data could cause alarms and in many companies there's nobody to closely look at this until it starts seriously impacting the usual traffic. If the OP manages to remain under the radar and don't download gigs per day, he'll likely be fine.

OK... enough for me. Bash him away, I don't care. I'm so sick of members of this forum trying to enforce their sets of morals on other people. Especially when there's so much discussion about things that the general people consider as more immoral than downloading a movie at work.

Cheers, I'm outta here.

Edited May 30, 2016 by Lannig

[Bench499d]

I think that we can assume that the OP is a grown-up and fully realizes the consequences of his actions.

The fact that he precisely wants to use a VPN to download stuff makes me think he does.

He probably doesn't care what either of us would do if we were his sysadmin or boss, and rightly so.

Well he should.

Because other people end up having to clear up messes created by chumps like this.

All of this stuff can be done at home.

I also have to agree with Chicog here.

It's precisely the fact that other people end up having to clean up the mess that policies are put in place by employers to prevent employees misusing company assets in the way the OP intends.

Let's pretend for a moment that the OP is connected to the company network downloading stuff off pirate bay, and instead of a movie he downloads a nice piece of malware which allows his machine, still connected to the company network, to be compromised, and let's say this allows an attacker into the company network and his company has some data which would be nice to steal. That data is then sold etc. So the OP's company now has a data breach to deal with which could cost them and their customers $$$$.

Now based on this scenario does anyone think the OP should not be sacked for recklessly endangering his company? Maybe the company he works for doesn't care but plenty would.

[Somtamnication]

I confew....how does using a vpn violate a business rule? I simply do not care for you to know what emails I type and what other communication you can capture with packet sniffing.

[Bench499d]

I confew....how does using a vpn violate a business rule? I simply do not care for you to know what emails I type and what other communication you can capture with packet sniffing.

Using a VPN would allow you to bypass any controls a company puts in place to protect its network or comply with regulations. So for example in the OPs case, his employer may block the pirate bay website for obvious reasons - it's not business related. Using the VPN may allow the user to access the site in breach of company policy. Also there may be company policy in place restricting the installation of unapproved software and presumably the VPN client would be unapproved.

By the way, companies often block popular Web mail providers and have policies which disallow personal email use from corporate devices. If they want to use packet sniffing to monitor you they probably could, it may even be mentioned in the employment contract.

[ghworker2010]

I think that we can assume that the OP is a grown-up and fully realizes the consequences of his actions.

The fact that he precisely wants to use a VPN to download stuff makes me think he does.

He probably doesn't care what either of us would do if we were his sysadmin or boss, and rightly so.

Well he should.

Because other people end up having to clear up messes created by chumps like this.

All of this stuff can be done at home.

Chicog is a classic old uneducated guy. Ive read many of his posts and he is always grumpy and abrupt. No doubt he must be a nightmare to live with and thus must be single in pattaya. Dude, do you really think member of this forum want to listen to your moral opinion. This is a techie forum not a nanny state do gooders forum... 'dont do this and dont do that'.... 'I would sack you blah blah'. Its boring to read. Go back to the nanny state that you come from chicog. I assume your british. Its where you belong.

[Chicog]

Yes I am grumpy and abrupt when it comes to selfish tightwads who would risk their company's assets rather than just pay for a decent internet connection at home. I've been the one who's had to clean up those messes and it's a massive waste of time, effort - and company money.

You are the one lacking in education on this subject. You clearly don't understand the potential consequences.

[Chicog]

I confew....how does using a vpn violate a business rule? I simply do not care for you to know what emails I type and what other communication you can capture with packet sniffing.

Emails are as much company assets as pieces of paper.

[sniffdog]

Dont put graffiti on other peoples property - another of chicog's life lessons. And dont watch porn during work hours.

Edited May 31, 2016 by sniffdog

[Chicog]

Dont put graffiti on other peoples property - another of chicog's life lessons. And dont watch porn during work hours.

Funny you should say that.

A few years ago, the CEO of Bank of Ireland issued a company-wide edict saying that anyone who watched porn on work computers would be sacked.

Subsequently, he outsourced his IT department, costing them all sorts of benefits.

Then he had a problem on his computer and called in the outsourced IT guys to look at it.

You can probably guess the rest.

A 1.6m euro-a-year job down the toilet. He resigned (albeit with a nice payoff).

Edited May 31, 2016 by Chicog

[Somtamnication]

I confew....how does using a vpn violate a business rule? I simply do not care for you to know what emails I type and what other communication you can capture with packet sniffing.

Emails are as much company assets as pieces of paper.

Chicog, I have always read your IT stuff and agree with most of it over the years. I too am an old dinosaur with a computer science degree from way back in the 80s.

In general terms, I would agree. But in this day and age of living in THAILAND, your nanny state wishes are moot. No one is entitled to read my emails, corporate or not, via sniffers or keyloggers set up by the company.

I use a vpn at work and I enjoy my privacy. I do not watch donkey porn or any other stuff. No pirating stuff, either. I just "like to go about with my life with the curtains drawn".

[Chicog]

Chicog, I have always read your IT stuff and agree with most of it over the years. I too am an old dinosaur with a computer science degree from way back in the 80s.

In general terms, I would agree. But in this day and age of living in THAILAND, your nanny state wishes are moot. No one is entitled to read my emails, corporate or not, via sniffers or keyloggers set up by the company.

I use a vpn at work and I enjoy my privacy. I do not watch donkey porn or any other stuff. No pirating stuff, either. I just "like to go about with my life with the curtains drawn".

What does this have to do with a "nanny state"?

Your company is paying for your IT infrastructure.

It has a right to not only protect it, but also to ensure that you are not misusing it.

Unless you are in a small, mickey mouse outfit, I would ask your systems admins if they can read your emails (not that they do, but that they can). In most companies this is a legal requirement, especially if there are compliance issues.

As for you using a VPN, I'd ask your system admin about that as well.

Because when the company spends money on firewalls, antivirus and other protections, I doubt they would take kindly to you bypassing them and risking bringing down the lot.

Like I said, do it at home. How hard is it?

Again, if I found out that you were knowingly doing it on my network, I'd have no trouble getting you fired.

Same as I would if you were the last out of the office at night and deliberately left the doors unlocked.

Edited June 1, 2016 by Chicog

[Somtamnication]

Well, actually, I am using the boss's infrastructure , wires, firewalls and company time to look for another job. Thank you Torguard.

I understand your point, Chicog, but it is a very old school of thought.

[Guest]

I understand your point, Chicog, but it is a very old school of thought.

What's the new school way to do work?

[Bench499d]

Well, actually, I am using the boss's infrastructure , wires, firewalls and company time to look for another job. Thank you Torguard.

I understand your point, Chicog, but it is a very old school of thought.

No it's not old school it's IT Security and Compliance 101.

[Somtamnication]

I understand your point, Chicog, but it is a very old school of thought.

What's the new school way to do work?

In the age of social networking, very different to what it was years ago, we need internet access with less strings attached.

You offer internet, then don't complain about how it is used.

If anal retentive IT bosses are so gun-ho on what is done from within their IT department, then don't offer it. Do an intranet instead.

[Chicog]

I understand your point, Chicog, but it is a very old school of thought.

What's the new school way to do work?

Apparently it involves doing everything in a stupidly risky fashion and hoping your employers - or worse, hackers - do not notice.

[Chicog]

I understand your point, Chicog, but it is a very old school of thought.

What's the new school way to do work?

In the age of social networking, very different to what it was years ago, we need internet access with less strings attached.

You offer internet, then don't complain about how it is used.

If anal retentive IT bosses are so gun-ho on what is done from within their IT department, then don't offer it. Do an intranet instead.

Don't be ridiculous man. It's perfectly easy to secure networks and provide Internet applications at the same time.

As long as thoughtless old duffers don't go deliberately bypassing everything and screwing it all up.

And by the way, you clearly are stuck in old school if you think it's just IT managers.

Nowadays CIO/CISO are as important as CFO's, and in some organisations the CFO even reports to them.

Edited June 1, 2016 by Chicog

[Chicog]

I understand your point, Chicog, but it is a very old school of thought.

What's the new school way to do work?

In the age of social networking, very different to what it was years ago, we need internet access with less strings attached.

And that's crap too, as you just stated that your "need" is to look for another job.