When investigating possible employee misconduct, where should you first look for Internet activity?

Examining the browser cache is a critical first step in investigating possible employee misconduct related to Internet activity. The browser cache stores temporary files and data from websites that a user has visited, including images, scripts, and HTML content. This cached information allows investigators to understand the web activity of a user, revealing which websites were accessed, the frequency of visits, and possibly the time spent on those sites. This can provide essential evidence regarding inappropriate or unauthorized Internet usage.

In contrast, investigating the Recycle Bin for deleted files could yield some information about deleted content, but it would likely not be as directly relevant as the data stored in the browser cache regarding current Internet activity. The user’s PAB folder typically relates to personal address book data or contacts, which may not directly correlate to their web browsing behavior. Lastly, the web server cache is about server-side data storage and access logs, which might not provide a detailed view of an individual user's online activities like the browser cache would. Thus, starting with the browser cache is the most direct and effective approach for understanding a user's Internet activity related to potential misconduct.