A Report on Internet Misuse in Business Firms
Business organizations rely heavily on internet enabled systems in the present age. This has necessitated unrestricted use of internet in business firms, especially in creative area like graphic designing. This report addresses the same issue in a graphic design firm where the author works as an account manager. The firm is doing well and currently has a strength of 14 employees. However the owner is concerned about the unregulated use of the internet which allows the employees to download almost anything or view inappropriate web content in the workplace. The concern of the owner is justified because the irresponsible viewing of websites may cause legal as well as commercial problems for the owner. The owner has assigned the author to understand the exact nature of the problems that may arise due to unrestricted access to all web content and to come up with a policy that is able to control the indiscriminate viewing of objectionable content. The first part of the report deals with the specific problems being confronted by business owners due to unrestricted access to websites by the employees with the help of prior studies on the topics. It then proceeds to address these issues by developing policies and tools that prevent the employees from viewing and downloading unwanted content from the internet.
PROBLEMS FROM UNRESTRICTED USE OF INTERNET
IT experts have identified several problems faced by a business owner because of unrestricted access to the internet in the workplace, such as misusing confidential information, violating privacy policies of the organization regarding customer details, downloading unsecure data, causing systems to collapse, viewing lewd and objectionable videos during work causing losses, breaching security etc. The author focuses his attention on two specific problems brought to his notice by the IT personnel.
Downloading Corrupt Software. One of the problems the IT in charge has alerted the owner is about the indiscriminate downloading of files by the designers which may have corrupt data and may cause the system to malfunction and collapse. A lot of time is wasted trying to resolve the problems. Also downloading unrelated software leaves a firm vulnerable to viruses, malware and spyware to the computer without the knowledge of the operator. This malware may be often disguised as popular videos or songs. These viruses and other hidden malware may be spread to other computers too, and damage the system of other staff with whom files are being shared. Downloading unwanted software also subjects the person to the risk of downloading pornographic content camouflaged as something different. It also exposes the owner to legal hassles if the downloaded material is copyright protected. (Hayes 2) has described the hazards of downloading online gaming sites, which apart from causing the system to malfunction, may expose the players to computer intruders who may misuse the social interaction of the gaming atmosphere to exploit host system’s vulnerabilities.
Visiting Inappropriate Websites. The second major issue brought to the notice of the owner by the IT person is - viewing or distributing inappropriate content during working hours which may result in security breaches. There are studies which indicate that internet abuse at workplaces result in tremendous loss for the companies in lost man hours. It can make the firm vulnerable to legal liabilities if users download illegal content (like banning pornography) into the firm’s servers. Secondly, employees can sue for sexual harassment if such content is emailed to them by coworkers. The objectionable websites sometimes open certain obscene links intermittently on the screen which interrupt working and divert the attention of the workers. In the absence of a policy to restrict viewing or distributing such content, the employer cannot take disciplinary actions against such misconduct. This may further encourage the viewers to see, distribute and discuss such content at the workplace causing embarrassment to the employer as well as other employees.
There are experts who relate this deviant behavior to opportunity, access, affordability, anonymity, convenience, escape, social acceptance, and longer working hours (Griffiths 89). Whatever be the reasons, there is a general consensus among cyber experts that a company must have clearly defined policies to control such misconduct as they result in productivity losses in millions of dollars (Young and Case 107).
METHODS OF RESTRICTING INTERNET MISUSE
Formulating policies for internet use. Internet experts are of the view that indiscriminate use of the internet can be controlled by formulating policies that clearly state the guidelines for internet use during working hours. The policies must also include the disciplinary actions and termination of employment proceedings against the employees if found indulging themselves in such misconduct. The clear formulation of policies has a dual advantage; firstly it prohibits use of internet for recreational policies in the workplace and secondly, it protects an employer from facing lawsuits challenging the termination. Also, the formulation of an email and Internet usage policy specifies what the firm views to be acceptable and unacceptable of their facilities, including personal use after reaching a consensus with the employees. This reflects a lenient approach where a total ban on all URLs can be avoided. These policies may also establish the procedure of monitoring internet use to safeguard against accusation of privacy infringement.
Using monitors to check downloading of suspicious contents. Companies that are sensitive to hacking and other security breaches have started using methods to filter insecure data using antivirus software, monitor internet use through tracking software and protect customer details by activating passwords. Researches reveal that many companies regularly check the emails and other files of their employees (Young & Case, 106).
IT people can identify the sites to be blocked, specify the hours by which certain sites may be visited, control and report actual and attempted site views and customize these functions for the firms and individuals. There are software packages that filter and warn against dubious content from the internet. Content filtering can be activated by installing integrated security software at the firm’s internet gateway which provides security against intrusion and data corruption. Some content filtering also facilitate lists of sites which are to be banned from viewing. Lists of prohibited sites usually include pornography, subversive sites and gaming sites too. Content filtering software engages tools that search for trigger keywords to block unwanted websites.
Using educational programs to address Internet addiction. Some IT experts are of the opinion that employees are themselves not aware of the risks that they are exposed to due to indiscriminate surfing. Therefore, educational programs which warn about the probable consequences like the hazards of revealing their personal details to the hackers, subjecting their systems to spyware, malware or viruses etc. increase the users’ awareness about the risks of surfing dubious websites. This automatically induces them to use the net more cautiously, thereby preventing suspicious elements from accessing the system and stealing their data. Also, they are warned about the legal liabilities and disciplinary actions they may have to face if they violate the company internet policy, download obscene and vulgar material prohibited by law or compromise the firm’s integrity in any way. An educational input about cyber security and its violations make the user more wary of visiting suspicious URLs.
CONCLUSION
The report concludes with the observation that internet use in workplaces has become inevitable with the growing online support needed for any business organization. Especially in business based on creative professions like graphic design where the users have to surf the web for information and software to support their work. However, this also gives them unrestricted access to the internet which can be misused and compromise a company’s security and image and subject them to unwanted lawsuits. Also, because of system failure caused by corrupt files and hidden malwares result in productivity losses because online activities comes to a standstill when the system is being repaired. Apart from productivity losses incurred due to system failure, indiscriminate viewing of unwanted sites causes deviant behavior and legal liabilities in the workplace.
IT experts have suggested many techniques to curb the misuse of internet at work. They include formulation of clear and well defined policies on cyber misuse, using software to filter and monitor dubious content, educating the employees about possible consequences, etc. While policies guide the employees about the rules related to internet surfing at workplace and its consequences, the software enables the companies to prohibit unwanted files or malware which compromise the security of the company. Educational programs are quite effective in warning the people about the risks the employees are exposed to, when they view or download objectionable content from the internet.
Although software companies are coming up with numerous tools to keep hackers at bay and safeguarding data from being corrupted, the techniques are only partially successful as a full control over viewing web content is not possible. Only it can be limited to selected URLs. However, it is expected that more effective monitoring software on the way to market and the growing awareness of users may lower the risks companies are exposed to, because of internet misuse by employees.
References
Griffiths, Mark. "Internet abuse in the workplace: Issues and concerns for employers and employment counselors." Journal of Employment Counseling40.2 (2003): 87-96.
Hayes, Eric. J. "Playing it Safe: Avoiding Online Gaming Risks” (2006), 1-7.
Young, Kimberly S., and Carl J. Case. "Internet abuse in the workplace: new trends in risk management." Cyber Psychology & Behavior 7.1 (2004): 105-111.
