Employee internet monitoring could save your reputation online

Corporate security risks far outweigh privacy issues when it comes to monitoring employee computer activity.

Recent studies have suggested that companies lose up to £130million a year to employees’ use of social networking sites, online shopping and instant messaging. Many businesses have responded by blocking sites such as eBay, MySpace and Facebook, or even by blocking internet usage altogether, often with the result of creating resentment amongst employees and affecting their ability to do their jobs.

While employers may fear employees spending time on social networking applications, many workers also use these sites for business networking purposes or to stay in touch with customers. Allowing some personal use of the internet can also help maintain employee satisfaction. Employers, however, should implement internet monitoring to ensure that employees’ use of the internet is not lowering their productivity or exposing the company to risk by harming its reputation or exposing the corporate network to security risks.

Managing Director Tim Ellsmore of security experts 3ami suggests, “By combining a clear internet usage policy with 3ami MAS (Monitoring & Auditing System), businesses can use internet monitoring to ensure that employees understand and adhere to guidelines for using the company internet.”

A company internet policy should clearly explain how much time employees may spend online at work and what they are allowed to discuss online in regards to their employment. Using 3ami MAS to monitor usage, employers can protect corporate security as well as maintain employee productivity by ensuring that employees comply with the internet usage policy while using company equipment.

Generate Secure Employee Internet Usage Reports

MAS logs comprehensive data from every application opened on company computer equipment including keystrokes, screenshots and application activity. It maintains secure records of how much time each employee spends using instant messaging or browsing the internet and tracks what websites they visit. 3ami MAS can generate reports to show when employees have exceeded their allowed internet usage and can monitor sensitive keywords and send alerts should an employee access unacceptable websites, mention the company name or other employees or customers, discuss sensitive information online or speak to or about a competitor.

3ami MAS keep records of all computer activity on a secure database. Records over any time frame can be retrieved instantly and have been used as legal evidence.

For more information view the 3ami website at www.3ami.com or call +44 (0)1257 473190

Contact Information

Tim Ellsmore

Managing Director

3ami

Contact via E-mail