More and more employers are denying their staff access to social networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace during office hours. The clampdown has been prompted by worries that access to the sites affects productivity and compromises security. In a poll of 600 employees, carried out by IT security firm Sophos, 43 per cent reported that their employers had blocked anyone from logging on to social networking websites. But while many employers have barred such sites, a number are clearly concerned about taking preventative action. Some 8 per cent of the employees who responded to the survey said that fear of a staff backlash had deterred their bosses from imposing a ban. The majority of employees, however, agreed with their employers that networking sites ran the risk of encouraging colleagues to divulge too many details about themselves and the business. Two thirds of those polled believed that sharing information left users and the firm open to identity theft and phishing scams. Graham Cluley, who is senior technology consultant at Sophos, pointed out that firms are divided on the question of workplace access to Facebook and MySpace: “Some believe it to be a procrastinator’s paradise which can lead to identity theft if users are careless. Others either view it as a valuable networking tool for workers or are too nervous of employee backlash if the site is suddenly blocked.” If companies choose to allow access to social websites, Mr Cluley warned that it is imperative that employees “are taught best practices to ensure that they are not putting their personal and corporate data at risk”. Date:22 August 2007
Content by: Made Simple Group
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