Toshiba Phone System

Can my company's IT dept tell where I am logging into the VPN from?

I have a telecommuting job for a large s/w company, but want to telecommute from somewhere warmer in the US for a couple of months, and don't want to let my boss know :-) Can the IT dept easily know my whereabouts if my boss asks them? I am using a company laptop and use the following s/w to connect: - Verizon air card (completely 100% my own) - based on Qualcomm 3G CDMA - VPN client: Cisco v 4.8.x or higher - VOIP soft phone: Cisco Communicator 2.x (I use this for internal conf. calls) - MyDesktop: is a company proprietaty software, which allows system admins to automatically upgrade your laptop with upgrades; and a central location for IT messages/warnings. Also supplies licensed sw delivery My initial guess is that the company's VPN server will be able to see the VPN connection request coming from an IP address that is owned by Verizon. However, what I am worried about, is that the cell tower / satelite uplink company name will be added to the foot print, such as "Florida Telco", "Hawaii Telco", etc... Thanks in advance !! Thank you for the responses already received. Please note the following clarification to my question... Based on the information provided earlier, and from a *purely technical standpoint* ... 1. does my company have the technical means to find out my general geographical location - if I am dialing in from a different state? 2. If so, how can they know? 3. Is it possible for me to block that info? Thanks again :-)

Public Comments

1. Depends what type of logging is enabled on the VPN. I would say it's unlikely that the IT department will be logging that type of info. I administer the VPN at my work and we normally only care about if/when the person logged in and not so much from where.
2. Do it legit. Take a look at your companies wireless policy and see if there are any restrictions. Also make sure your meeting all the company security requirements for you connections. Once you meet all the policy requirements your good to go. Your manager shouldn't care about your physical location as long as all policies are being followed. Heck I'd tell all my co-works and managers if I was going to work on the beach in Florida for the next two months. Just to rub their noses in it. ;-) I routinely travel and use Hotel and remote sites connections for my VPN and no one seems to notice.
3. It could be easy for them to look. It really depends on the security they have. Also depends on the type of VPN they use. But, honestly I doubt your boss will ever even try to find out. (unless you on the list..... the sh** list)
4. It is technically possible, but very unlikely. The way I would think he could do it would be to check the VPN server access logs for your original IP address.. He would then have to check with the ISP to see the origin for that IP address. It could be confusing to find out if you are using the Verizon wireless signal. I would say you are 95% safe on this one. Also if there are many other people using VPN, then it would be even more of a hassle for him to try and find out. I wouldnt worry about it, just make a backup story in the slim event that you are questioned. I work in IT and he would have to go well out of his way to even see that anything was different from your origin of connection.