VPNs originally began as a way for employees to connect to a corporate network when away from the office. These ‘corporate VPNs’ are incredibly useful to organizations, allowing workers to access files and other business resources.
Personal VPNs, on the other hand, are designed to protect your privacy when web browsing. Although you can sometimes use these on your work computer, this isn’t always as safe as using a VPN on your device.
In this guide, we’ll explore what your employer can see when you’re using a VPN on your work computer. You’ll also learn some important tips for staying safe, no matter which device you’re using.
Can my employer track my location through a Corporate VPN?
In brief – yes. Suppose you’re connecting remotely to a corporate VPN. In that case, your employer will be able to see your device’s real IP address as the VPN connection is established between it and your organization’s servers.
The fact that your employer does this doesn’t necessarily mean they want to spy on you; they may just want to be sure that only authorized employees are accessing their network.
Can my employer track my location through a Personal VPN?
If you’re using a reliable, personal VPN service like hide.me, then your internet connection will be routed through a VPN server. This means if you visit a domain or connect to a web application (even one owned by your employer), then your IP address will match that of the VPN server, not your device.
If this is the only method your employer uses to track you, then they won’t be able to trace your location, provided the personal VPN is set up correctly.
What methods can employers use to track my location?
Employers can use multiple methods to track devices connected to their network, including:
IP address
This is one of the most common forms of tracking. As we’ve learned, if you’re connecting to a corporate VPN remotely, your device’s real IP address will be visible, which means it’s possible to track your approximate location.
GPS tracking
Many mobile devices have GPS functionality, meaning that your device’s location can be tracked even if you’re using a personal VPN.
If you’re using your device, you can deactivate location services when using specific apps like your web browser or simply disable GPS altogether.
If you’re using a company device, however, it may have MDM (Mobile Device Management) policies that prevent you from deactivating location services.
Wi-Fi tracking
If your employer has installed monitoring software on your device as part of their MDM policies, they can also track the Wi-Fi networks to which your device is connected or has been in the past.
This information is only useful to your employer if they know where a Wi-Fi network is based. For instance, knowing that you’re currently connected to ‘STARBUCKS FREE WIFI’ wouldn’t tell them which specific Starbucks you’re in.
Device fingerprinting
Even if your device doesn’t have specialist software installed, specific information like your browser, OS, system language, and so on can be used to form a unique ‘fingerprint’ of your device.
Naturally, identifying your device doesn’t necessarily reveal where it is – but this information can be used to track the same device across different networks and locations.
Can my employer see what I do when I am connected to a Corporate VPN?
The short answer is yes – when you use your work computer to connect to a corporate VPN your employer can usually monitor your activity in the same way as for any computer in the office network.
This includes (but is not limited to):
- Any applications you use.
- Files you access.
- Your Internet activity.
Can my employer see what I do if I’m using a virtual desktop?
In theory, if you’re using a virtual desktop, your employer will only track your activity within that environment. That means any other apps or internet services you use won’t be monitored.
You could even install a personal VPN and use it outside the virtual desktop to connect to the internet.
However, if you’re using a device provided by your employer, they may require you to install other types of monitoring software on your device to check app/VPN usage. If you’re uncertain, check your organization’s IT Policy.
Does a personal VPN hide my internet history from my employer?
If your device has no monitoring software on it and you use a personal VPN, the connection between your device and the VPN server is encrypted, even when you’re using a corporate network.
This means your employer won’t know which specific websites you’re visiting or which internet apps you’re using.
However, your employer can use techniques like DPI (deep packet inspection) to detect that your device is establishing connections using an encrypted VPN protocol. This means your employer would know you’re using a VPN.
Network administrators can also see the amount of data your device has uploaded and downloaded, so you may be able to work out that you’re streaming video content, for instance.
Make sure to read through your organization’s security policy to check that VPN connections are allowed.
How can I hide my internet history from my employer?
Unless you’re breaking workplace rules, your internet usage is your own business. Below are some top tips for protecting your privacy from your employer:
Use your device
If you’re using a corporate computer or mobile device, it has likely been set up by your organization’s administrators. That means it’s likely to be subject to MDM policies and contain monitoring software.
If, on the other hand, you use your device, it’s far less likely to contain tracking programs. You can also disable features that can be used to locate you like GPS.
Use 4G/5G
Whenever your device connects to a corporate network, any traffic to and from it can be monitored. This applies both to your devices and those given to you for work purposes.
If, on the other hand, you connect using a 4G/5G connection, your web traffic can’t be intercepted and analyzed by your employer.
If you’re using a work device, it may go against company policy to connect via a 4G/5G ‘hotspot,’ so make sure to check if this is allowed.
Use traffic obfuscation
If you’ve no choice but to use a personal VPN on a corporate network, you can try to disguise the fact you’re using the service through ‘obfuscation of your traffic.
At hide.me VPN, for example, our implementation of the OpenVPN Protocol uses TLS-crypt. This means the VPN data packets are encrypted twice to resemble ordinary TLS traffic over Port 443.
In other words, it will seem as though you’re connecting to a secure website by HTTPS rather than a VPN service.
We love bringing you this content and hope it helps keep you safe and secure online. Feel free to share it with your friends, too.
Here at hide.me we are all about internet freedom, and we are happy to be in a position to bring that to everyone. That is why we give you a 30-day money-back guarantee on our Premium plan. No questions asked and no logs recorded.
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If you have any questions, please feel to contact our24/7 supportteam either at[email protected]or via live chat.
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