Does that doorbell sound mean work is watching me?

March 3, 2008 1:48 PM

Am I being spied on at work? IT got into my computer last week and now I hear a little doorbell sound whenever I visit a website that does not belong to the company ...

I needed to have more memory installed on my (incredibly slow) computer last week, and had to have IT connect remotely. When the IT guy was done "cleaning things up", I noticed that my computer makes a doorbell sound whenever I visit a not-explicitly-work-related site. He came around to install some memory, and I asked him about it -- if looking for directions, checking gmail was a security violation, or what was up.

He claimed he had no idea, said to try the same thing in Explorer (am using Firefox.) Explorer didn't do it. But this is driving me nuts and making me so paranoid.

I work in the Web group at a large nonprofit and there's a LOT of downtime. I'm not sure what to think here, but it's freaking me out. What say you, MeFites?

posted by chinese_fashion to computers & internet (15 comments total)

Pretty crappy spyjob if it alerts you every time it's spying.
posted by Roach at 1:52 PM on March 3, 2008

uninstall and reinstall firefox, see if it's still doing it. also try with a new, work related site.
posted by By The Grace of God at 1:53 PM on March 3, 2008

Can you uninstall and reinstall firefox? Or do you not have admin rights on the machine?
posted by delmoi at 1:54 PM on March 3, 2008

If you don't have admin rights just run Portable Firefox - a little bit slower but runs off any folder from your computer with no install.
posted by katrielalex at 1:59 PM on March 3, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

I think all of us can safely assume that our work related internet travels are recorded or accessable for later review. Even if they aren't spying on you at the moment, they do have the capability to see where you have been. When in doubt, don't visit it from a work related machine.
posted by 45moore45 at 2:02 PM on March 3, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

if it's blocking popups, that may be what's causing the noise. almost every site has popups these days, and some browser have a default alert option letting you know a popup was blocked. go into the preferences and see if you can find the popup blocker alert options.
posted by thinkingwoman at 2:03 PM on March 3, 2008

my vote is for the pop-up blocker.
posted by kidsleepy at 2:18 PM on March 3, 2008

Ah man -- thanks for your advice, guys. I have gone through FF's popups (under Tools>Options>fricking everything in there) and not been able to find any preferences for a popup sound. Am I overlooking this thing, or does it require more skill?
posted by chinese_fashion at 2:26 PM on March 3, 2008

I am a network tech for a living. We do not need to install things on your comp to SPY on you. We can see ALL traffic going out to the net via the routers and through the proxy if one is installed.

YOu shouldnt do any personal or bad stuff at work because it can see it. I do not think the noise is them spying on you unless you have really bad it people .
posted by majortom1981 at 2:45 PM on March 3, 2008 [2 favorites has favorites]

In the URL entry box, try "about:config". That gives you access to a lot more options than the normal option box does. (But I don't know which of the hundreds of entries in there is the right one, sorry!)
posted by Class Goat at 2:53 PM on March 3, 2008

Always assume you are being watched. For the most part, you aren't, simply because it takes too much time/effort to wade through traffic logs, but if your employer ever wants to build a case, they won't find the trouble too daunting. I know many people who were essentially fired for a bad attitude, but officially fired for breaking technology usage policies.
posted by foxydot at 3:24 PM on March 3, 2008

You can try this:

* Access the about:config page.
* Find the accessibility.typeaheadfind.enablesound preference name
* Double-click on it to change the value to false
* The changes take effect instantly

But I don't think it is your issue.

What I would like to know is, what extensions you have installed? NoScripts? Others?
posted by B(oYo)BIES at 3:33 PM on March 3, 2008

Being notified of breaches of the company's Web policy (if that is what's happening here) is not bad surveillance, it's ethical surveillance.

As far as I'm concerned people have a right to know when they're being watched.

Look at it this way, the goal is to have a workforce that doesn't use the Internet for non-work purposes. The goal should not be to secretly test them, watch them fail, and then punish them.
posted by loiseau at 3:46 PM on March 3, 2008

BTW... the steps above disable to beep that comes from Firefox's find feature.

I think it is more of an extension doing it though. NoScript has an open to play this sound (does not sound like a door bell) every time it blocks a script. (NoScript Options > Notifications > Uncheck 'Audio feedback when scripts are blocked').

If you do not have NoScript, try this:

Close Firefox
Go to Start > Run > type firefox -safe-mod and hit OK
Firefox starts up with no extensions installed
Go to websites that were ringing your door bell and see if it still happens. - I am guessing it won't.

Now we just have to find out which one it is.
Close Firefox
Open a new instance through your Desktop icon or however you normally start Firefox.
Go to Tools > Extensions
If you have a lot of extensions, disable 3 or 4 at a time, restart Firefox and see if you get the beeps.
When you stop hearing the beeps, turn the extensions back on one at a time until you single out which one is causing the beep.
Now find the option to make it stop.
Post answer to blog
??????
PROFIT
posted by B(oYo)BIES at 3:49 PM on March 3, 2008

Damn it.

Last post..... maybe.

NoScript has an open to play
NoScript has an option to play

Go to Start > Run > type firefox -safe-mod and hit OK
Go to Start > Run > type firefox -safe-mode and hit OK
posted by B(oYo)BIES at 3:52 PM on March 3, 2008