Internet Use Risk Audit

Internet use by employees increases the risk of a security breach, sexual harassment lawsuits, and poor employee productivity. Companies whose employees surf the web unfettered are at greatest risk. An Internet Use Risk Audit uncovers those employee Internet activities which place your organization at significant risk.

Using Internet risk assessment software tools, a Networks Unlimited Security Engineer captures, categorizes, and analyzes network traffic over a 5 day period, sifting for high-risk activities. Historically, Internet Use Audits have provided eye-opening results that explain why:

  • Important IT projects run late because they are frequently set aside to fix computer problems
  • Internet bandwidth seems clogged resulting in sluggish response times for web-based applications
  • Recently-purchased workstations are bogged down processing spyware requests
  • Users unknowingly download malicious code as they surf infected web site
  • Certain employees appear very busy, but produce few results

Whether you are a CFO or IT professional, you will be surprised to know the extent of high-risk Internet use activities taking place in your organization.

  • When browsing the web, employees are unknowingly visit malicious websites – that have been hacked or designed specifically to distribute malware. When an employee visits one of these sites, files are downloaded without the user being aware, installing keyloggers or other malicious code so a hacker gains control of the user’s workstation.
  • Instant Messaging (IM) has become popular in the corporate world for business and personal use. Unfortunately, IM allows your employees to readily transmit and receive files that completely bypass important portions of your anti-virus/anti-spyware defenses. IM file transfers and downloads are often the #1 source of viruses, Trojans, and worms in today’s business networks. Furthermore, encrypted IM may be used to purposely leak proprietary company information, making detection difficult.
  • Employees may fall victim to phishing attacks. These official-looking emails occasionally succeed in tricking employees into revealing confidential account or user information. Recipients are encouraged to click links in an email, leading them to what appear to be customer service pages, complete with links, logos, and all the familiar layout and language of an authentic website.
  • Frequently, employees are spending time at recreational web sites downloading photos, videos, and streaming media. Some users are even streaming Internet radio and TV stations to their workstations throughout the workday. They are the bandwidth hogs that cause real business application response times to slow and damage everyone’s productivity.
  • While streaming movies, video clips, or downloading photos from pornographic websites for viewing right at their desktop, employees are dramatically increasing the likelihood of a sexual harassment lawsuit against your business.
  • Chatting with friends or family via AOL, Yahoo!, or Microsoft instant messaging is eating up employees’ workdays and causing them endless interruptions that defy concentration.
  • Employees at multiple levels are spending too much time reading the news, shopping, gambling, planning their next vacation, or researching their next car purchase.

Reports that are delivered with Internet Use Risk Audits identify the key problems and enable you to take appropriate action to limit your business risk.   

Contact us for more information or pricing on an Internet Use Risk Audit or Employee Internet Management tools for monitoring and controlling risk in your organization.