There is widespread ignorance of corporate internet
acceptable usage policies (AUPs) in UK businesses, according to a
survey of 300 business internet users by internet security
appliance company SmoothWall.
The survey found that over 40% had installed instant messaging
clients onto their machines from the likes of Microsoft, Yahoo and
AOL, to communicate with friends and family.
Almost a third of respondents admitted to occasionally
downloading music or videos over the internet while at work, with
8% admitting to doing it on a regular basis.
Apart from the fact that downloading these large files consumes
large amounts of network bandwidth, employers could be seen to be
complicit to any violation of copyright law, said SmoothWall.
The survey also found that almost 25% of respondents were using
the Skype voice over IP software on their employers’ desktops.
When it came to personal surfing, news sites were the most
popular non-work-related websites, regularly visited by 85% of
respondents. Shopping and auction sites were also popular, with 40%
shopping on-line from work and 37% using eBay and other auction
sites.
Although most firms are prepared to allow a certain amount of
non work-related web browsing, the survey revealed much more than
incidental usage.
More than a third of respondents confessed to spending in excess
of 30 minutes each working day accessing non work-related web
sites, while 22% spent more than an hour per day.
Only 15% of respondents said they only accessed non work-related
sites during lunchtime and outside of core working hours.
The survey found that where an AUP was in place, in 40% of cases
it was not enforced by the firm.
“Companies are obviously still not enforcing internet usage
policies. We recommend locking down corporate networks to all but
essential business applications, and strictly controlling access to
non work-related web sites during working hours,” said SmoothWall
managing director George Lungley.