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Spector360.com >>> Case Studies >>> RCS Communications
Monitoring Software "Hands Down" Choice at RCS Communications
The Setting
Industry: Wireless Communications
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
RCS Communications is a Louisville, Kentucky-based regional leader in the sales and service of wireless communication products.
RCS operates three facilities with about 100 desktop PC users and five servers running Windows 2000 Server Active Directory domains. More than half of the PCs run the Windows XP Pro operating system while the balance use Windows 2000 Pro.
The Challenge
Information Systems Manager Robert Elliott said that at one time in the not too distant past, many RCS Communications employees "seemed to feel that the work computer was an extension of the home PC."
"Lots of folks, even managers, failed to recognize the significance of their inappropriate activity," said Elliott. "They treated their actions, as well as those of others, almost apologetically, as if they were ‘just checking the weather.'"
- "The biggest time-wasting was employees using floppies to play games," said Elliott. "A disgruntled employee revealed the game-playing during an exit interview. This individual had just had it with others not working around her. But because they hadn't downloaded the games, there was no evidence.
"Time-wasting had migrated to an area where we were blind."
Search for a Solution
Implementing SurfControl was the company's first attempt at regulating Internet and PC activity, using the filtering product to block certain web sites and as a "packet sniffer." At the time, RCS monitored emails by simply copying them to a file.
"Given the knowledge of the game-playing, plus the pending rollout of Instant Messaging — neither of which could be monitored by our two-year-old SurfControl program —we needed some help," said Elliott. "I did a general search on activity monitoring feature sets. Looking at the activity going on in the organization, I felt we were feature-driven more than dollar-driven.
"Originally, I was biased against a client-based product, but once I got past that, there was no question: Spector 360 is the choice."
Discoveries
Elliott said that once he installed Spector 360 and began PC and Internet activity monitoring, the program captured and recorded a rash of inappropriate behavior.
- "We really had next to no porn surfing," said Elliott. "The problem was game-playing and personal stuff … mostly Scrabble, crossword puzzles, recipes, church flyers … things like that. We could have terminated several people. But the problem was so widespread, and because some of the employees were considered quite valuable, we distributed the pictures anonymously to demonstrate Spector 360's technology.
"The game-playing stopped cold."
Leaking of company confidential information – whether maliciously or inadvertently – can be one of the most costly events for any business. Implementing Spector 360 activity monitoring software can help reveal the leaks as well as provide the deterrent necessary to ensure such data always stays within friendly confines.
- Using Spector 360's unrivaled monitoring capability as part of regular email maintenance, Elliott noticed an inordinate amount of spreadsheet attachments.
"We were literally giving away data … and dollars," said Elliott. "I found active Excel spreadsheets were being sent to the customer as part of a maintenance agreement. Some of the spreadsheet values were being changed and sent back. Not only did we catch this thanks to Spector 360, but we had proof."
What Elliott calls the most significant "horror story" related to a specific employee involved a young salesman. At time of hire, the newcomer signed the company Use of Communications System Policy almost in passing. When Elliott checked the Spector 360 logs not too long thereafter, he had quite a surprise.
- "He had gone to porn sites, he had purchased porn with his personal credit card, and he had downloaded the porn to his work PC," said Elliott. "He also had reconfigured his PC. I handed him a 17-page report on his activities and told him the deal. He got it and has been a model employee ever since."
In addition to its unsurpassed PC activity monitoring, Elliott added that RCS Communications also has found Spector 360 to be helpful in employee training, valuable as a Human Resources tool, and a useful "help desk" utility.
- "Using the software, we now keep an eye on new employees for a couple of weeks," said Elliott. "It helps in training … you look at the Spector 360 screen snapshots and not only can you ask why are they doing this … but why are they doing it this way?"
- "I have noticed that individuals who continue to bump into the acceptable use policy are folks you don't want to have around anyway," said Elliott. "In that way, it's an HR thing. It straightened out some folks we really wanted to keep."
- "We have also used the snapshots tool to help us recreate events leading to a PC crash," said Elliott.
Awareness
Elliott said he and RCS management "had to play the heavy with employees for a while."
"We felt people needed to ask themselves a pretty simple but tough question: ‘Is this work-related?' Our stance regarding access to the Internet is ONLY when work-related."
- "We knew we needed an acceptable use policy in place," said Elliott. "The paperwork was given to employees with their checks. Once they were signed and returned, we started to monitor. We also verbally informed key individuals in the organization so the word would get out through the grapevine. The message for some was ‘don't worry' but for others it was ‘watch out.' It set up a real buzz."
Spector 360: The Software of Choice
Elliott was pleased to learn, with the assistance of what he considers a knowledgeable and helpful SpectorSoft sales team, that Spector 360's multiple-license pricing makes comprehensive, effective PC and Internet activity monitoring an affordable proposition for companies of any size.
"The sales and development team really took care of us," said Elliott. "When we decided to implement company-wide monitoring as opposed to a focused investigation, I felt we took advantage of a big price break."
- "The return on investment in our situation was only a few months," said Elliott. "Considering dollars spent, I think you have to ask yourself ‘what is the price of security? How much is a customer database worth?'"
Part of Elliott's initial concern about client-based software was the need to use what some Information Technology types call "sneakernet": walking up to each computer to install software and then repeatedly returning to perform monitoring tasks. Spector 360 eliminated the objection because it allowed him to install all the software from one PC.
- "When I saw Spector 360 I said ‘this is it.' Spector 360 had it hands down. I really appreciate the central management, and the ability to push out the installs from my desk. That's probably the biggest selling point. I literally did the installs from my desk.
"Spector 360 just kind of runs after that. It just keeps going."
- "What I like best about Spector 360 can be explained by viewing the Dashboard with its Quick View selections," said Elliott. "I especially like the ability to drill down to the screen snapshots … the frequency, the quality of the pictures, the alert mode … they're the best."
- "The install was easy and straightforward," said Elliott. "It's real intuitive. I had expectations with Spector 360 and they were met."
- "In addition to increasing productivity, Spector 360 also gives us proof of lack of productivity," said Elliott. "If we have to go to court with an individual fired for cause, we have the information to blow the case out of the water."
Elliott summed up his opinion of Spector 360 simply:
"Because of Spector 360, I know our people are not fooling around on the computer. They are working at the PC. If they are fooling around on the computer, it's someplace else, like at home."
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