Question If I have VMWare client running, does my company see my internet traffic?

[yocheco619]

Obviously, very novice to this world.
If I have VMware client running on my pc, and I launch chrome, use netflix, discord, or run a game on the same PC, does my company see that?

 

[USAFRet]

Obviously, very novice to this world.
If I have VMware client running on my pc, and I launch chrome, use netflix, discord, or run a game on the same PC, does my company see that?

Yes.
A VMWare client is but a subset of the host system.
The host system connects to the corporate network.
Any data traveling out of the host system can be seen by the corporate network.

Solution?
Don't use your companies system for games and netflix.

 

[yocheco619]

Yes.
A VMWare client is but a subset of the host system.
The host system connects to the corporate network.
Any data traveling out of the host system can be seen by the corporate network.

Solution?
Don't use your companies system for games and netflix.

And just to clarify, the vmware client is opened on one screen. I launch chrome from my PC's taskbar (not the taskbar in the vmware client) on my other screen, they can see that?

 

[kanewolf]

And just to clarify, the vmware client is opened on one screen. I launch chrome from my PC's taskbar (not the taskbar in the vmware client) on my other screen, they can see that?

It depends. Can they see traffic, yes. Can they see the contents? Maybe. Is a proxy required in your internet configuration? If so, then they maybe able to see your HTTPS traffic.
If you have a direct internet connection, then your HTTPS traffic is opaque. Your DNS (website lookup) traffic may still be visible.

 

[yocheco619]

It depends. Can they see traffic, yes. Can they see the contents? Maybe. Is a proxy required in your internet configuration? If so, then they maybe able to see your HTTPS traffic.
If you have a direct internet connection, then your HTTPS traffic is opaque. Your DNS (website lookup) traffic may still be visible.

Wow I'm definitely not in this world lol. So if I watched a high demand video on 4k, they see high traffic right? Or an online game, that will show as high traffic.
PC is hard connected and not sure if a proxy is required.

I get the idea though, when I start working, simply keep off the browser and youtube lol.

 

[USAFRet]

And just to clarify, the vmware client is opened on one screen. I launch chrome from my PC's taskbar (not the taskbar in the vmware client) on my other screen, they can see that?

They can see the URL or service that you are connecting to. Netflix, for instance.
They can't see the actual traffic.


Opening from the taskbar or wherever makes no difference.

Think of it this way....your PC is connected to the network by a single cable. Their network.
All traffic destinations that go via that cable is discoverable.

 

[yocheco619]

They can see the URL or service that you are connecting to. Netflix, for instance.
They can't see the actual traffic.


Opening from the taskbar or wherever makes no difference.

Think of it this way....your PC is connected to the network by a single cable. Their network.
All traffic destinations that go via that cable is discoverable.

Thanks that makes sense. I guess I always thought of it as whatever is done within the client is their domain and what isn't is my own.
So amazon shopping, youtube tutorials, w/e, keep it to another device.

 

[kanewolf]

Thanks that makes sense. I guess I always thought of it as whatever is done within the client is their domain and what isn't is my own.
So amazon shopping, youtube tutorials, w/e, keep it to another device.

It also depends on the policies of your employer. "Casual" internet use may be allowed. But that is up to the interpretation of your employer. Your approach is the safest approach.

 

[USAFRet]

Thanks that makes sense. I guess I always thought of it as whatever is done within the client is their domain and what isn't is my own.
So amazon shopping, youtube tutorials, w/e, keep it to another device.

Instead, you do whatever is allowed by your employer.

For me, utube video tutorials are not necessarily a bad thing.

Neither is light Amazon shopping.

Spending all day on amazon and ebay....totally different.
And they can tell.

 

[punkncat]

You use of the verbiage "my pc"...do you mean like "the company assigned PC that you use while physically inside their building"?

Or is this a work from home situation?

 

[yocheco619]

You use of the verbiage "my pc"...do you mean like "the company assigned PC that you use while physically inside their building"?

Or is this a work from home situation?

This is work from home. I literally own and built the desktop. They had me install VMware horizon client on it. I was not issues a company laptop or pc.

 

[punkncat]

So, you are connected to them by a VPN, etc. IE you start your computer, log into them and are working via a terminal, correct?

 

[yocheco619]

So, you are connected to them by a VPN, etc. IE you start your computer, log into them and are working via a terminal, correct?

Start my computer, get a code from the mobile access app, open the vmware client, type that code, then log in with credentials I would use if I were in the office on one of their PCs.
EDIT: I get a mobile 'token.' if that's different.

 

[punkncat]

Start my computer, get a code from the mobile access app, open the vmware client, type that code, then log in with credentials I would use if I were in the office on one of their PCs.

Ok, so when you are in that "virtual desktop" enviro with your work, you can then (for instance) alt/tab back to your desktop on the physical computer you are on?

 

[yocheco619]

Ok, so when you are in that "virtual desktop" enviro with your work, you can then (for instance) alt/tab back to your desktop on the physical computer you are on?

Technically yes/no. When I'm on 'my' desktop of my pc I can alt tab to the vmware. If I try to alt tab from the client then i just go to the last window I have opened in that virtual desktop.

 

[punkncat]

Awright, last one, I promise...this in on internet that YOU pay for from your home, or internet they pay for you to have at your home?

 

[yocheco619]

Awright, last one, I promise...this in on internet that YOU pay for from your home, or internet they pay for you to have at your home?

No you're fine; helping me better explain next time. My internet I pay for.

 

[punkncat]

Ok, in the purest sense, the only way your work would see your activity would be if you were doing said things within that virtual console. Just like if you were at work.

The unknown aspect would be what they installed and what you agreed to when you installed it.

As a "for instance", my son was in University. In order to be able to connect to the internet at school as well as to be able to do work and take tests from home, he had to agree to install a host of hardware and token that allowed the school to see exactly what he was doing. It would even go so far as not to allow unauthorized pages from opening on the machine he was connected to school with. It had no way to see other machines on our LAN/WAN so if he wanted to "cheat" he just had to use another device like a phone, tablet, PC, etc.

So, in the simplest terms they shouldn't be able to see what you do outside that virtual environment, but would be specific to what you agreed to and installed. My suggestion would be that if you value your job and yet still want to screw around some like many people do...it would be safest to do so from another machine such that there is no way for them to be seeing it from your internet service.