Set Guidelines for Internet Use
Monitor Internet Activity with Information Assurance
Utilize Firewalls
Maximize Online Security for the Future

As the world shifts toward a global economy, companies today rely more and more on the Internet as a critical business and marketing tool. It supplies a constant source of information, communication, correspondence and business applications. But while the Internet has great advantages, managers must also have some control over what employees are accessing and how they are using it.

Many times, Internet access is viewed as an open invitation to waste company time. Today more and more employees partake in Internet chat, purchasing products, surfing, bill paying and doing anything but work. Some recent cases even involve pornography, gambling and racist activity on company time.

So what can be done to reduce these types of activities while providing some privacy to individual Internet use and maximizing man-hours? Consider the following three strategies for Internet control:

1. Set Guidelines for Internet Use
Before enforcing rules, you must make them. Therefore, employers, both large and small, must set guidelines before taking any disciplinary action on Internet abuse. The guidelines should indicate how much personal time an employee can spend online. But, this relies heavily on the honor system, because it is difficult to monitor such time without expensive protection programs.

In addition to time losses, consider the security guidelines. Employees who dabble online are more prone to viruses or hackers, which could spell disaster for businesses in banking, records management, power or water generation, telecommunications and government. Lost data, malicious errors and data theft can ruin entire companies.
Beyond outside risks, also consider risks that come from within the company. As Internet crime levels increase, so do the legal ramifications including copyright laws protecting artists from illegal music and video downloading. Of utmost concern are violations of the Child Online Protection Act, which makes it a felony to download, print, share or possess pornographic images of children.

Despite all the recent cases in the headlines, some employees continue to view pornography at work. And employers may be liable if downloading takes place at work in a corporate office.

Though most employees would never do this, it sometimes happens by mistake. Many pornographic web sites are disguised in spam or other e-mails, making them difficult to detect. Therefore, company guidelines should also include rules of engagement in relation to spammers.

2. Monitor Internet Activity with Information Assurance
Information Assurance (IA) is available for big businesses that can afford Internet security and can’t rely on the honor system due to a large workforce. Dumb terminals are one option. They allow employees to check company e-mail without providing full Internet access. With this type of system in place, it is possible to provide a password for each employee and then track computer use as necessary.

Some may consider this computer spying, but it is perfectly legal if employees are made aware of which types of use are appropriate. By using defensive programming, corporations can detect software glitches and anomalous control data flows that may indicate viruses. And, in case of a major computer attack, always back up important data.

3. Utilize Firewalls
A computer firewall protects networked computers from intentional hostile intrusion that could compromise confidentiality and result in data corruption or denial of service. It may be in the form of a hardware device or a software program running on a secure host computer. The term "firewall" refers to segmenting a network into different physical sub-networks. Just as fire doors or firewalls protect a building from fire damage, computer firewalls limit the damage that could spread from one subnet to another.

Firewalls also log all attempts to enter the private network and trigger alarms when hostile or unauthorized entry is attempted. They may be programmed to recognize certain types of traffic, sources or destination addresses.
For example, key words such as “sex,” “bet,” “gaming” or “adults only” can be programmed to be recognized using complex rule bases that analyze the application data and determine if the traffic should be allowed through the system. Ultimately, the business owner or manager determines how a computer firewall is used.

Maximize Online Security for the Future

As the popularity of the Internet grows, security systems are vital to protect every business. And while allowing some personal Internet use is a nice benefit to offer employees, restrictions must be in place.

The honor system is always the best approach, relying on hiring individuals with honesty and integrity. But with a large workforce, this may not be the best option. Large corporations may find an Information Assurance system a worthwhile investment. And the firewall is an integral part of any security system, but it is not an effective program in and of itself.

A combination of all three of these strategies based on a company’s technology budget is important for all businesses that use the Internet. With the proper security measures in place, companies can cut the chances for employees to waste work time, prevent unauthorized system entry and protect their business against Internet risks in the future.

About the Author
Gregory Taillon is a global media expert with a background in education, music and engineering. “Remote Control Wars” is his forthcoming book based on research and a new international study that shows the effects of mass media on America’s youth, ADHD, obesity, outsourcing, education and more. For more, visit www.remotecontrolwars.com or call 800.786.1764.

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