Yes, says remote-monitoring and management software company GFI Software’s David Kelleher, who told Business Week that “there are real security problems and many, many threats” that can arise when employees are shopping and surfing sites like Facebook and Twitter during work hours.
I think Kelleher is right about the IT-security risks lurking all over the Web and that when employees spend too much time online for non-work purposes the company loses productivity. Also, I like that he advocates a commonsense combination of increased security measures, Internet safety education and sensible limits for employees.
“If you’re draconian and you shut off everything, you wind up with disgruntled employees who could get very angry and harm your organization,” he says. “You want to be fair and allow people to use the Internet to check their e-mail or update their social networks before work or on their breaks. As long as you pay attention to what is going on and help your employees do their work better, that’s the balance.”
Bottom line: Don’t punish your employees for buying Michelle Obama’s latest J.Crew ensemble online while they munch their lunch. But don’t let them think it’s OK to spend the afternoon trying to beat their college buddy’s Bejeweled score on Facebook.
Do you think your company handles Internet-use issues well or not so much? Share your thoughts and good ideas here.
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