Hey everyone, I'm looking for some insights into how corporate network monitoring really works. I'm in sales and I want to create a simple productivity tool that would interact with Google Drive through its API. The app runs in my browser on my work laptop and only pushes text data to Google Drive using HTTPS when I save, with no file uploads involved. My company seems to prefer Google tools, so I don't think Drive is blocked.
I have a few specific questions:
1. Can IT see when data is pushed to Google Drive via API calls?
2. Are corporate network monitoring tools able to check the actual content of HTTPS traffic, or just where it's going?
3. Is there a notable difference in how detectable it is when file uploads are done manually versus using an API to send text data to Drive?
I'm not looking to break any policies, just trying to understand what IT might be able to see before I proceed with this setup. Thanks!
5 Answers
Yes, IT can see that data is being pushed to Google Drive. They can identify API calls being made to the Google Drive endpoint, so it's definitely visible. Also, they can likely tell the difference between regular web traffic and API traffic, especially for things like Google services.
If you're not trying to violate any policies, then it’s a good idea to speak directly with IT. Engaging in shadow IT can raise a lot of flags, and it’s important to be transparent about what you’re trying to do. Just asking them directly might save you a lot of headaches later on.
1. Yes, they can monitor that.
2. They can inspect HTTPS traffic to some extent, depending on their tools – they may see destination info and sometimes even the content.
3. There often is a detectable difference between manual uploads and API data pushes, with API calls potentially being easier to track and analyze.
This sounds like shadow IT to me, which is when users set up their own tools without IT approval. It's often better to just bring your idea to the IT department directly and find out how they can help you accomplish your goals without any risk. They usually have alternative solutions that work within company policies.
With SSL decryption, IT could potentially see exact file content, file names, types, sometimes even the destination folder, and OAuth identity context. If you’re copying and pasting text instead of uploading files, it might still be visible depending on how the data is transmitted.
But if I'm just copying text and not uploading files, does that really change anything in terms of what they can see?
I'm really just trying to create a tool that can handle large datasets, but the limits in systems like Gemini are holding me back. My company does have an Enterprise License, so I thought this could be a helpful workaround.