Employees' privacy vs. employers' security: Can they be balanced?

This paper addresses the controversy between employees' right to privacy and employers' need to safeguard organizational resources by employing monitoring tools. It shows how organizations can formulate use policies, by applying basic principles for fair and lawful monitoring. A list of key points is presented, which organizations should take into account, for developing such policies. Finally, the paper explores how, widely accepted information security standards, such as the ISO 17799, can aid the attempt to address this controversy. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.