Cyber Salon
Employee Web Use and Misuse
As the World Wide Web becomes an increasingly more important business tool , dental offices need the best possible solutions to help protect their computer systems , their reputation and their employees . But where do you draw the line ? Is it OK to send the occasional personal email at work ? In today ’ s office environment , employers have a relatively new issue to deal with : employees wasting time online and putting your business at risk . A large proportion of corporate web traffic is non-work related and misuse can have serious implications for your business :
• Reduced Productivity . If employees spend their time on a social networking site such as Facebook , they ’ re not spending it doing their job .
• Security Problems . Malware hides on websites and can install itself as users browse infected pages .
• Legal Risks . When users download inappropriate material to their computers , other employees may take serious offense , which in turn can create legal liabilities for the doctor .
• Wasted Bandwidth . Internet connections cost money and if half your bandwidth is taken up by employees using it for their own personal use , you could potentially be paying twice as much as you need to while your business-critical communications are running at half speed .
• Unlicensed Software . When users download and install software from the Internet , they create a legal risk . Software piracy is illegal . If an organization uses illegal copies of software , it may face a civil suit and risk criminal penalties .
In the face of all these problems , many doctors ’ first reaction might be to block all employee access to the Internet . However , completely blocking Internet access may not be the right approach for your office . Monitoring inappropriate use may seem to be the lesser of two evils compared with blocking large parts of the internet . Keep in mind that when you decide to allow employees access to the Internet , it is in your best interest to ensure that they are aware of the laws around electronic communications in the workplace . The federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act ( ECPA ) makes it clear that a company-provided computer system is the property of the employer and they have the legal right to monitor all computer activity , transmissions and content – including incoming , outgoing and internal email messages , as well as web surfing , downloads and uploads .
It ’ s clear that blocking or monitoring web use requires careful thought and any decision needs to be backed up by a clear , acceptable usage policy for the Internet . When thinking about employee Internet access and your office well-being , consider the following :
• Do I have a solution in place that can effectively block web-born malware , viruses and spyware ?
• Does my solution allow me to create web filtering and monitoring rules for different groups or employees ?
• How flexible is my solution ?
• Have I clearly defined a written Web Acceptable Usage Policy ?
eb logix is a complete IT service company in Exton . For more information , contact Beth Suero at beth @ eblogix . com or call ( 610 ) 458-1919 .
May / June 2010 • Pennsylvania Dental Journal
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