A
Bill to make it illegal for employers to read private e-mail messages is to be
introduced in the Commons by Tory MP Michael Fabricant.
The
Bill wants to give e-mails the same protection and privacy as conventional mail
and telephone conversations, making it illegal for people other than the
intended recipient to read e-mails.
However,
a survey by Indicii Salus, the UK internet security company shows:
87
per cent of UK employees have surreptitiously read a boss’s private e-mail on
at least one occasion
Of
these, 66 per cent claim to have become an addicted cyber-snooper after just
one hit
Employees
are happy to read and reveal details of their boss’s personal life, but feel
threatened if they read derogatory e-mails about themselves
18
per cent of employees would attempt to break e-mail security protection in
order to access private information
Of
the 200 professionals interviewed, only 18 per cent ‘intended’ to access their
boss’s e-mail for professional or personal gain. The remainder "came
across an unprotected inbox" and were tempted by the e-mail subject or the
irregularity of the sender.
