Businesses have always provided employees tools needed to get work done—telephones, company cars, photocopiers, computers, etc.. Sadly, some employees have taken personal advantage. With computer technology and Internet access a requisite today, employees waste a lot of productive business time surfing the Internet. Research shows:
- Up to 40% of Internet use in the workplace is not business related
- 70% of all internet porn traffic occurs between 9am-5pm
- 37% of workers report personal web surfing constantly during work hours
Organizations that let this happen suffer:
- Time and productivity losses
- Bandwidth constraints
- Security risks
- Legal repercussions
- Potential to reveal proprietary information
So, what should a leader do to address this issue? IT Radix recommends that organizations consider employing Internet monitoring software. This software should be viewed as just another facet of a larger security discipline which includes everything from anti-virus protection, firewall implementation, encrypted email and asset tracking. IT Radix offers a number of solutions, including an affordable package that can monitor all email and IM sessions, track and filter web usage, log user keystrokes, supervise program/application use and capture screenshots.
Putting this monitoring software in place can also lead to other benefits that one might not expect such as identifying best practices in working with some applications or in identifying the highly productive employee already working according to set policies.
We recommend the following policies when using this type of software:
- Candor – We highly recommend that employees be informed of the use of these programs. An open, honest approach to all will achieve better results.
- Filter – They say locks are made to keep honest people honest. Similarly, it is best to be proactive in filtering/blocking inappropriate or undesirable sites.
- Measure – Check reports regularly to identify potential problems early. Once a problem is identified, often a simple email to staff rectifies the problem.
Today’s business world necessitates a proactive approach to technology security, and that includes employee monitoring software. The most immediate benefits will be in the area of increased productivity but other areas such as security policy compliance assurance, legal compliance, and improved network and bandwidth management benefit as well. To learn more, please reach out to us anytime.
First published in our March 2015 IT Radix Resource newsletter
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