What if the connection to the site is SSL-encrypted? I’m thinking the IT department will know I’m connected to the site. However, will they be able to see the unencrypted packets?
If your company uses a proxy server to access the internet, they can access your SSL session data under certain circumstances.
It is possible to intercept an SSL connection at a corporate proxy server. The company would have to install its own security certificates on the workstation, which would allow it to make a secure connection to the proxy server, which would then make a secure connection to the bank.
Essentially, the connection is decrypted at the firewall, then re-encrypted and sent to your workstation.
Don’t do anything at work that you aren’t 100% comfortable having the IT guys see.