SECURE SURFING : TOP TIPS FOR YOUR WEB SECURITY
One of the most common forms of employee misuse of IT systems is cyber-slacking – wasting work time and bandwidth browsing personal or inappropriate websites. Some of the risks for businesses are clear (such as productivity losses and bandwidth wastage) but others are less obvious and include:
- exposure to malware hidden in social networking, music, gambling and even legitimate sites you access daily
- network downtime or information theft resulting from an infection
- legal liabilities when other employees are exposed to offensive web content
- the loss of reputation or brand damage that can flow from any of these risks.
Most problems are caused by poor judgment or innocent mistakes, rather than criminal acts, so following a few key tips can help protect your business:
- Use security technology, such as MessageLabs services, to enforce policies, prevent malware infections and protect sensitive information – protecting your network from malware before it gets in, is the best defence.
- Include insider threats and employee misuse in your business risk assessments and security plans, including response plans.
- Put in place a clear, pragmatic and comprehensive Acceptable Use Policy – regular review, updating, distribution and training will ensure it is up to date with emerging threats and will increase compliance.
- Enforce strict password policies – customise web access rules to individual users’ business needs, and decide the level, type and volume of personal access appropriate for your business and staff profile.
- Log, monitor and audit employee online actions – ensuring compliance with your legal rights and responsibilities and duty of care.
MessageLabs Hosted Web Security Service ensures your network is seamlessly and automatically protected from web-borne threats. It controls web access, keeping your employees productive and ensuring regulatory compliance. MessageLabs Hosted Web Security Service enables you to:
- monitor and control browsing according to your policies
- eliminate bandwidth wastage
- block malware hidden in internet content
- extend protection to remote workers
- produce one-click and scheduled reports for peace of mind.
For more information go to the
Hosted Web Security Overview Page or
speak to a security specialist.