Questions and more questions

As an increasing number of federal employees work from home, more administrative and legal questions concerning responsibility and oversight are likely to arise. Michael Castagna, chief information security officer at the Commerce Department, shared a few of those questions at a conference sponsored by the Telework
Exchange.

• How does an agency’s help desk support teleworkers who are using home PCs?
  
• If an employee does something illegal on a home PC during work hours when teleworking, is the agency responsible?
  
• If legal violations are suspected, does the government have the right to seize a PC?
  
• To what extent would liability for misconduct by a teleworker on the job be shared with service providers?