Keeping Virtual TimeClock Secure & Accurate

By Jeff Morrow
Redcort Software

Virtual TimeClock is time and attendance software that instantly, accurately, and impartially records every employee start and stop time. This means the time clock program interacts directly with your computer's operating system clock by utilizing the time and date control functions already built into your computer in order to record the real-time punches of each employee. You'll want to make sure your employee computer time clocks have been properly setup to ensure your time clock data is secure and accurate.

This article will address the following topics:
Security - Prevent employees from changing the computer's clock to manipulate their start and stop times.
Accuracy - Make sure your computer's clock is providing the correct time for your time zone.

Security

Since the time clock program utilizes the time from your computer's clock to record timecard entries, there are several steps you can take to prevent tampering with the time.

Restrict access to the operating system time

A simple way to prevent employees from tampering with the computer clock is to limit access to changing the clock settings.

To prevent changes to the computer clock on Mac OS X:
1. From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.
2. In the System section, click Date & Time.
3. Click the Date & Time tab.
4. Click the open lock icon to secure the Date & Time preference pane.

Now you must authenticate with an administrator name and password in order to unlock the secure preference pane, even if you're currently logged in under an administrator account.

To prevent changes to the computer clock on Windows XP:
There is not a way to lock the Date and Time control panel if you're logged in under a computer administrator account. Limited accounts are unable to alter the system time.

To prevent changes to the computer clock on Windows Vista and Windows 7:
There is not a way to lock the Date and Time control panel if you're logged in under a computer administrator account.

If User Account Control (UAC) is turned on and you're using a standard account, you'll need to provide the administrator password in the User Account Control credential prompt to change the clock settings. If UAC is turned off on Vista or set to 'Never notify me' on Windows 7, standard accounts are unable to alter the system time.

Use Virtual TimeClock Network Edition

Another way to secure your employee time clock software is to eliminate the affect that changing the local system time has on your employee's timecard entries. This can be accomplished using Virtual TimeClock in a server-client configuration. This is 100% effective because the TimeClock Server computer provides the timestamp for all timecard entries. Therefore, manipulating the system time on the TimeClock Client computers has no impact on the actual time that is recorded.

Accuracy

Since the time clock program utilizes the time from your computer's clock to record timecard entries, there are several steps that you can take to ensure the time being recorded is accurate.

Automatically synchronize your computer clock with an Internet time server

If your computer is a member of a domain, your computer clock may automatically synchronize with a network time server. Otherwise, you can synchronize your computer clock with an Internet time server.

To synchronize your computer clock to an Internet time server on Mac OS X:
1. From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.
2. In the System section, click Date & Time.
3. Click the Date & Time tab.
4. Select the Set date & time automatically checkbox.
5. From the pop-up menu, choose the server that's geographically closest to you.

To synchronize your computer clock to an Internet time server on Windows XP:
1. Click the Start button, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click the Date and Time control panel, and then click the Internet Time tab.
3. Select the Automatically synchronize with an Internet time server checkbox, and then from the Server drop-down list select the desired time server.
4. Click the Apply button, and then click the OK button.

To synchronize your computer clock to an Internet time server on Windows Vista and Windows 7:
1. Click the Start button, and then click Control Panel.
2. Click Clock, Language, and Region, and then click Date and Time.
3. Click the Internet Time tab, and then click Change settings.
4. Select the Synchronize with an Internet time server checkbox, select a time server, and then click OK.

Your computer clock is typically updated once a week and must be connected to the Internet in order for the automatic time synchronization to occur.

Automatically adjust your computer clock for daylight saving changes

Many parts of the world participate in seasonal time changes. Since your time clock program records the time as reported by your computer, you'll want to make sure that your computer handles the seasonal time changes automatically. In 2007, several countries and regions changed the dates on which they observe Daylight Saving Time (DST).

To make sure your clock maintains the proper time on Mac OS X:
1. From the Apple menu, choose Software Update.
2. Install the updates as directed.

This will ensure that your computer has the February 2007 Daylight Saving Time Update. The new DST rule changes are already part of Mac OS X 10.4.5 or later. For more information on obtaining this specific update for your region or earlier versions of Mac OS, visit http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2019?viewlocale=en_US

To make sure your clock maintains the proper time on Windows XP:
1. Click the Start button, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click the Date and Time control panel, and then click the Time Zone tab.
3. Select the Automatically adjust clock for daylight saving changes checkbox.
4. Click the Apply button, and then click the OK button.

If Automatic Updates is turned on, your computer should already be current on any DST related updates. If not, Microsoft has provided a Daylight Saving Time Update Guide at http://support.microsoft.com/gp/cp_dst to confirm if your computer requires any updates.

To make sure your clock maintains the proper time on Windows Vista and Windows 7:
1. Click the Start button, and then click Control Panel.
2. Click Clock, Language, and Region, and then click Date and Time.
3. Click the Date and Time tab, and then click the Change time zone button.
4. Select the Automatically adjust clock for Daylight Saving Time checkbox, and then click OK.

If Automatic Updates is turned on, your computer should already be current on any DST related updates.

Updated 6/17/2010