This document is intended for IT administrators and business managers who are considering the use of a Web filter in their operations. It first provides information designed to help readers decide if Web filtering is right for their organizations. Then, it provides additional information that can help them choose a reliable and effective solution at a reasonable cost.
Social networking in the workplace is a major dilemma for today’s businesses. Does it help or hurt the organization? Some say it helps by enhancing collaboration among employees, partners and customers. Others say it hurts by draining productivity and bandwidth and creating legal liability and network security risks. This paper explores various aspects of the issue, cites some relevant facts, and provides several recommendations.
What should you look for when evaluating and selecting Internet monitoring software? This technical brief covers core issues of data accuracy, system integration, usability and more, giving IT evaluators a handbook to follow in selecting the best product for their organization's needs.
While serving to curb inappropriate or abusive use, an effective and properly administered Web-use policy can encourage and guide the workforce to use the enterprise's Internet resources for positive, constructive, work-related purposes. This white paper looks at the major issues involved in formulating Web-use policy.
Confusion between the terms "hits" and "visits" in Web activity reporting can lead to incorrect data on employee Web use. This white paper discusses ways to access data in a more reliable fashion, and how to use this information as a basis for decision-making and appropriate policy enforcement.
How accurate is your Internet monitoring software? The key is in the software's ability to distinguish "hits" from "visits." This paper reviews common definitions of those terms and outlines the clear differences between hits and visits, providing a reference for accurate analysis of employee Web use reports.
HR, IT and business managers all play a critical role in managing employee Web use, an issue with implications for workforce productivity, bandwidth consumption and legal liability. This white paper discusses the advantages and limitations of various Web-use management approaches, including filtering and monitoring software solutions.
What are the hallmarks of a policy-based approach to Web-use management? This paper examines acceptable use policies, clear communications, effective software solutions and progressive cooperation between management, HR and IT - and suggests balanced strategies for successful implementation.
Some Web-use management software tools allow administrators to create custom URL categories to expand reporting capabilities beyond the standard categories included in most products. This white paper offers recommendations for using this feature to optimize employee Web use reporting in your organization.
As businesses migrate more processes and operations to the Web, management's need to monitor Web-access grows. This paper discusses the ways in which use (or misuse) of employee access to Internet and Intranet Web sites can significantly impact a business's bottom line, and offers some suggestions for appropriate use of Web-access reporting software.
How do employees feel about Internet monitoring in the workplace? And how can organizations implement an effective policy without damaging workforce morale? This first-person account of how one company addressed Internet abuse is a case study in the importance of proactively communicating clear acceptable use policies to employees.
Applying consistent standards of "appropriate" vs. "inappropriate" Internet use across the enterprise can be difficult without Web activity reports that directly support your organization's policy. Some Web-use management software products support this customized reporting — others do not. This white paper offers guidelines for selecting and implementing Web-use management software to support your policy standards.
With the exception of the "Employee's Perspective" paper, all of the white papers listed above were written by W. J. (Wally) Tubell. Mr. Tubell is an independent management consultant specializing in Internet-related IT applications, aerospace project operations, and technical services proposals. Recent clients include Northrop-Grumman, Raytheon Company, Lockheed-Martin and Wavecrest Computing. Prior to starting his consulting business in 1993, Mr. Tubell held several engineering and management positions with AT&T, RCA and GE. These positions involved telecommunications, automation, aerospace test instrumentation, and information technology. During the past five years, Mr. Tubell has been providing consulting services in the area of policy-based Web-use management.