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

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

Many times, Internet access is viewed as an open invitation to waste company time. Employees may partake in Internet chat, purchasing products, window surfing, bill paying and doing anything but work. Some recent cases even involve pornography, Internet 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? 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. Guidelines should indicate exactly how much personal time an employee can spend online. This relies heavily on the honor system because it is difficult to monitor such time without expensive protection programs.

In addition to time loss, consider 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, you must also consider risks coming from within the company. As Internet crime levels increase, so do the legal ramifications, including copyright laws protecting artists from a barrage of 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 recent cases in the headlines, some employees continue to view pornography at work. And employers may be liable if downloading takes place in the office.

Sometimes access to restricted sites happens by mistake. Many pornographic web sites are disguised in spam or other e-mails, making them difficult to detect. Therefore, company guidelines should include rules of engagement in relation to spammers.

2. Monitor Internet Activity with Information Assurance

Information Assurance (IA) is available for large businesses who 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 when 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, IA specialists should 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, you could program key words such as "sex," "bet," "gaming" or "adults only." Firewalls recognize key words 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.

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 information visit this web site or call 800-786-1764.

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