InterGuard is a new Blackberry security software that allows employers to keep sensitive information from being publicized (by design or accident) and also ensure employee’s are where they’re supposed to be when they’re supposed to be there. Designed by Awareness Technologies, the Interguard software will monitor activity on work BlackBerry’s & computers.
According to VerticalNews, the CEO of Awareness Technologies stated that there are “over 50 million BlackBerry subscribers worldwide, many of whom use their devices for work.” He also announced plans in 2011 for similar software applications that will work with the Android and iPhone platforms.
Using Interguard, employers can conduct surveillance on digital communications, monitoring content for every email sent and received by employees, and the parties with which employees are communicating. Once installed, the service is instantly implemented, allowing companies like insurance agencies and legal firms to protect themselves.
The software will also work on computers, monitoring all sites visited, emails, instant messages, and social network interaction. According to the article, Interguard is “mission-critical” in regulated industries (financial services is the example cited). Financial-type businesses usually own some sort of monitoring software for computers, but Interguard is bridging the gap to smartphones due to their explosive growth.
In such cases, the technology is available legally because the equipment is owned by the company; in most cases, employees usually sign a waiver stating that they were informed of the monitoring.
