Work Internet – the 4 P’s
Posted on June 8, 2013
Slow work internet ‘frustrates’ Aussies
The above article (click on it to go to the report) got me thinking as there are always two sides of the coin (employees and employers) and both sides have pros and cons when it comes to faster internet speeds.
38% of workers (from 500 surveyed) stated that they get faster internet at home and almost 60% are frustrated at slow internet speeds at their workplace. Another frustration was the “lock-down” or the control of systems at work.
A faster office internet may not lead to better productivity – this is where business grade firewalls are essential in the workplace. You need the security systems in place (spam filters, intrusion prevention and content filters) that block internet traffic and websites that reduce efficiency and productivity. I have seen the results of an unprotected network, they are not pretty and can be long lasting. Not just the effects of viruses, but data loss and theft, black listing of your corporate emails due to hacking, to legal repercussions from someone hosting torrents (hosting pirated videos for other people to download for example). Also employer efficiency – how much time do they spend productively on the internet – social media sites are tools of business but also can become a distraction.
With business grade firewalls/routers you can design and implement an efficient office internet – even setting up times where certain websites are allowed etc. However employee awareness/training is also crucial – making sure you have policies and procedures relating to internet usage. Another example of long lasting effects – spam emails – literally 10,000 spam emails a month due to one misplaced email address into a dodgy website a few years ago – easily (although a bit costly) negated by a combination of onsite and offsite spam filtering. This also can lead to hacking attempts – I’ve seen instances where one internet connection has had a continual hacking attempt every 2 minutes – been negated by their business grade router/firewall.
In conclusion – IT is very dynamic and you need to always be on the front foot when it comes to protecting your livelihood – having access to resources such as IT professionals (Such as us here at Waldon Computing) is essential and needs to be done right first time & all the time! As stated before – do what you do best – run your business, and let us do what we do best – PROTECTING YOUR BUSINESS.!
Use the four “P’s” for a safer internet
- PREPARE – By using a IT professional.
- POLICIES – Have rules when it comes to internet usage.
- PROCEDURES – Instruct your employees on internet usage.
- PREVENTION – By using the correct equipment.
Most small businesses are reactive – only pay for IT services when needed or when things go (horribly) wrong! They don’t/cant count the total expense when they have an issue (lost productivity & consumer confidence to horrific & costly scenarios above).
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