Should You Monitor Employee Activity? What HR & IT Teams Need to Know

Activity monitoring involves tracking and analyzing user behavior on company devices and networks. It helps enhance security, boost productivity, and ensure compliance with regulations. This article will provide insights into how HR and IT teams can effectively implement and benefit from user activity monitoring.

• User Activity Monitoring (UAM) is essential for identifying and mitigating cybersecurity threats, offering insights into employee behavior, and ensuring compliance with data protection regulations.
• Real-time monitoring and User Behavior Analytics (UBA) enable organizations to quickly detect anomalies and insider threats, enhancing overall security posture.
• Selecting the appropriate UAM solution involves evaluating features, scalability, ease of use, and compliance considerations to align with organizational objectives.

User Activity Monitoring (UAM) involves tracking and analyzing user behavior on company devices and networks to safeguard against data breaches and cybersecurity threats. Overseeing user access and data utilization, UAM acts as a critical defense mechanism, enabling organizations to address potential security issues proactively. Moreover, setting clear goals for user monitoring ensures that the software’s capabilities align with business objectives, thereby enhancing overall effectiveness. Additionally, monitoring computer activity can provide deeper insights into user activity.

The scope of UAM is extensive, encompassing a wide range of activities such as:

• Emails
• Applications
• Website use
• Video surveillance
• GPS tracking
• Audio recording

Combining user activity monitoring with data discovery ensures effective tracking and security for organizations. Additionally, solution providers often organize all the data collected related to user activity and company data into easy-to-read reports, making it easier for management to access and analyze data.

Recognizing employees with exemplary work habits and high effort through monitoring can boost motivation and productivity. Tools like Kumospace provide both historical and real-time insights into employee activity and work hours, aiding in better decision-making. Following best practices allows organizations to present tracking applications’ intentions positively, fostering a culture of transparency and trust.

Real-time monitoring offers organizations the ability to quickly identify and address suspicious behaviors, significantly reducing the risk of security breaches. Immediate alerts provided by real-time monitoring tools notify administrators when users engage in risky activities, such as accessing unauthorized data or using non-approved applications. This proactive approach helps prevent data exfiltration by tracking when sensitive information is being transferred or accessed.

Moreover, user behavior analytics (UBA) plays a crucial role in monitoring user actions in real-time. UBA tools leverage machine learning to:

• Recognize deviations from established behavioral baselines
• Identify potential security threats that standard monitoring systems may overlook
• Recognize abnormal activities, such as logging in from unfamiliar locations
• Assign risk scores to user activities, allowing security teams to prioritize alerts based on the perceived threat level

User behavior analytics (UBA) enhances security by identifying risky user actions and potential threats. An effective user activity monitoring system collects and analyzes data to provide valuable insights into user behavior, which is crucial for detecting insider threats and signs of ransomware. Monitoring user activities allows organizations to proactively address security incidents and protect sensitive data.

UBA tools integrate with existing security systems, such as Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) and Identity and Access Management (IAM) platforms, to enhance threat detection and response capabilities. This integration allows for a comprehensive approach to security, ensuring that all aspects of user behavior are monitored and analyzed for potential risks.

Video playback and detailed logs provide a searchable summary of all user actions, making it easier to track events and ensure accountability. Leveraging video recordings and screenshots allows organizations to document actions in critical applications, providing crucial evidence during internal investigations. This visual documentation clarifies user actions and helps in resolving disputes or identifying malicious activities, providing examples of effective monitoring and historical data.

Detailed logs capture a variety of information, including application names, page titles, URLs, and commands executed. Combining video playback with detailed logging significantly speeds up the audit process, providing insights necessary for effective investigations and ensuring a comprehensive overview of user activities.

User activity monitoring aids in compliance with data protection regulations by:

• Providing a comprehensive overview of user actions.
• Offering real-time monitoring to help organizations proactively avoid costly compliance penalties by ensuring adherence to data protection regulations.
• Tracking user actions and maintaining detailed logs to ensure compliance with industry regulations and reduce compliance costs.

Monitoring tools also make audits easier and more efficient by providing accurate and timely data. Organizations can leverage user activity logs to improve their overall data protection strategies and audit readiness. Additionally, monitoring third-party vendors’ activities ensures compliance with contract terms and enhances overall security.

User activity monitoring solutions can be categorized into two deployment models: appliance-based and software-based. Software-based monitoring tools are more flexible, allowing for easy scalability as organizational needs change. These tools can track activities on various devices, including computers, tablets, and phones, and report the information back to a central console for analysis.

However, software-based monitoring solutions require regular updates and maintenance to ensure optimal performance on the computer and protect against malware infections in the background. The complexity of installation and usage can significantly impact their effectiveness. Additionally, software offers can enhance the overall experience.

When selecting user activity monitoring software, organizations should consider factors such as price, ease of adding new members, the complexity of use, and the time spent to ensure it meets their specific needs.

User activity monitoring provides organizations with the means to:

• Identify potential productivity blocks and enhance operational workflows.
• Achieve an average productivity rise of 22% in organizations that utilize user activity monitoring tools.
• Increase employee productivity by approximately 7% through awareness of monitoring.
• Pinpoint performance issues to facilitate targeted coaching and development, improving employee efficiency and effectiveness. 

Additionally, user activity monitoring helps business activity monitoring, and user activity tracking can further support these efforts to improve productivity.

Monitoring tools support the identification of areas where employees may require further training. This fosters a culture of accountability, motivating employees to meet their assigned tasks and enhance their performance. Moreover, effective monitoring helps organizations manage workloads better by revealing imbalances in task distribution, ensuring that all employees are contributing effectively.

Employee monitoring also aids in enhancing communication and collaboration by identifying gaps in team interactions. For remote employees, UAM ensures adherence to company policies and helps maintain focus on tasks, thereby improving overall productivity and performance.

Insider threats often stem from deliberate decisions, indicating a need for thorough monitoring. Technological and human elements are both essential in recognizing concerning behaviors that could indicate suspicious activity related to insider threats and malicious intent. User activity monitoring serves as a crucial defense mechanism against data breaches by offering insights into user behavior across devices and networks.

Analyzing user activity data allows companies to detect insider threats and take preventive measures before significant damage occurs. Key aspects include:

• User behavior analytics, which is particularly effective in detecting insider threats by identifying unusual behavior patterns of users with legitimate access.
• Detailed logs that help pinpoint unauthorized access.
• Monitoring behaviors across various user roles, providing a comprehensive overview of user activities. Business analysts can leverage these insights to enhance security protocols.

Monitoring systems provide functionalities like alarms and website blocking to manage unwanted activity effectively. Alarms in user tracking systems can trigger critical responses such as emails, screenshots, and video notifications. Monitoring privileged users closely, especially those with access to critical servers, can mitigate insider threats and safeguard sensitive information within internal systems.

Policy-based access control (PBAC) governs user access using organizational policies tailored to various user attributes, enhancing security by allowing granular control based on context, such as time and location. PBAC enables central management of access policies, reducing the chances of inconsistent access permissions across systems.

Implementing PBAC requires externalizing authorization logic from individual applications to a central policy engine. Regular monitoring and updates of access control policies are essential for maintaining security and compliance with changing regulations.

Employers’ rights and legal considerations regarding monitoring employee communications include:

• Employers can monitor employee communications if they present a valid business reason.
• The Electronic Communications Privacy Act allows monitoring of communications with employee consent.
• Employers generally have the right to monitor activities on company-owned devices without employee notification in many jurisdictions.
• Different states have specific laws requiring employers to inform employees about monitoring practices.

Transparency in monitoring practices can help mitigate risks and distrust among employees. Employers should keep records of employee monitoring consent and communications and handle sensitive information acquired through monitoring carefully to avoid data breaches.

Employers must also take care to avoid overstepping privacy boundaries to prevent legal repercussions.

Selecting the right User Activity Monitoring (UAM) software involves considering features, ease of use, and cost-effectiveness. UAM software varies widely in terms of features, pricing, and system requirements, making it crucial for organizations to understand their specific needs before making a selection.

A feature that can improve the usability of UAM software is the unlimited integration of applications. Organizations should assess the speed, storage, and more data offered by the monitoring software and consider how quickly new business users can be added to avoid disruption. For example, this can help streamline the onboarding process and highlight the benefits of efficient integration.

Choosing the right monitoring tool can enhance workflow efficiency by allowing for unlimited application integrations.

User activity monitoring is a powerful tool that offers numerous benefits, from enhancing security and ensuring compliance to boosting productivity and detecting insider threats. By understanding the various aspects of UAM, organizations can make informed decisions and implement effective monitoring solutions that align with their business objectives.

By using the right tools and following best practices, organizations can protect their sensitive data, improve employee performance, and maintain compliance with industry regulations. Investing in UAM is not just a necessity but a strategic advantage that can drive business success.