Network Internet Control – Managing Risk the Right Way
The first thing that comes to mind when discussing network Internet control is usually how the administrator can make sure that users are visiting legitimate websites. Secondly, most administrators would be running regular virus scans of any file(s) downloaded from websites to ensure that none of these is infected with malware. Both approaches to network Internet control are valid and necessary, but they are not the only actions that could (or should) be taken.
Employees use the Internet for several reasons and each of the services that they use (and they are numerous) poses a level of risk to the security of the network and its users.
Take Instant Messaging (IM) as a perfect example. IM can be a very useful tool for a business; when used at a corporate level it can substantially cut communication costs when teams are spread out across geographical locations. Using IM, employees can quickly and efficiently share data.
However, as with everything else, great tools can be abused or used improperly. Unrestricted IM access could result in cyberslacking and employees spending more time chatting with friends than focusing on their work (this can happen with colleagues – discussing the latest sports results). Users can use it to transfer files which could be potentially malicious or a legal liability for the company . Employees could also abuse the service to leak confidential information outside the company.
It is also important to have a network Internet control policy – and a solution to go with it – that clearly states how IM should be used in the organization. If IM is not a required tool, the networking Internet control system should block it. If the organization needs IM to conduct business, then the Internet control solution should allow the use of a particular IM service while blocking access to all the others. The solution deployed should also be able to intelligently detect protocols and not simply block the relative ports because these can be changed.
This is not the end of the story. There are other factors, such as bandwidth consumption, that drive the need for a network Internet control solution. Streaming media, for example; this can impact negatively on bandwidth availability and quality of service. Often, unrestricted access to streaming media can result in hefty bandwidth costs. Also, steaming media can cause considerable delays for more mission critical Internet services that require the bandwidth which is being consumed by employees streaming videos.
A good network Internet control solution should detect and block streaming media – allowing the organization to enforce its Internet policies as required. This will, in addition to saving the organization bandwidth costs, also potentially protect the company from legal liabilities that usually arise from the streaming of copyrighted content and/or offensive material. Streaming media, when left unchecked, can be a major source of cyberslacking.
Every organization stands to benefit when it has, and implements good network Internet control policies and solutions. The direct and indirect cost savings will often be enough to show that the solution deployed is a strong investment and not an expense with little ROI. Factor in the security side of network Internet control into the equation and you can see why these systems are essential for an organization.
Every form of technology has its good side and bad side. I mean everything – including email, IMs, and Internet (in general). Controlling access and use of the World Wide Web can have several side effects. Depending on the environment where the restriction is being implemented, the consequences can be beneficial or disadvantageous (or both).
And this is where the job of a CTO, IT Manager, or a Tech Admin comes in handy. He or she has to decide what’s good or bad for the organization – tech-wise. But then again, most of the time, it still depends on the company’s situation. It’s a case-to-case basis.
Hmmm… Managing risk the right way is not only a job of a single entity. A CTO, IT Manager, or a Tech Admin can’t do this alone. He or she also needs some sort of support, especially if the said manager or admin has more than 50 employees to his or her hands.
Controlling the Internet (both in a large and small case environment) is not an easy job. You have to deal with a lot of issues – such as user privacy, right, etc. Bureaucratic processes are also present. So be aware.
I completely agree with having a network Internet control policy, and a set of solutions once trouble comes in. Put it in your company manual and introduce it to your employees.
Hi Perry and Willian,
I agree with both of your points, restricting access is ultimately a tradeoff between security and convenience and therefore one needs to be sure to strike the correct balance.
I also agree that there are many stake holders to this, and when designing the Internet access policy, all of these stake holders need to be involved.
Risk management creates value to an entity – in this context to network Internet control. I agree with William’s statement that managing risk, especially with this scope, needs some support.
Accessing and using the Internet in a workplace is so essential especially in this day and age where almost all enterprises use the World Wide Web to function properly.
It is in this regard that Internet control should be done in a way that it should be a win-win solution to both the business and the employees.
Network Internet control is crucial, but at the same time consider the many studies performed that talk about an increase in productivity when employees are granted a certain degree of wiggle room each day to check their social networks, share content, and so on. Obviously, you would want this to be done in a way that would have no malicious effects on the workstations, so it needs to be handled safely and securely, but outright blocking and banning from services and sites (within reason) is a good way to end up with the opposite of the desired effect.
This whole internet monitoring stuff reminds me more and more of the control of double use stuff – you need it to make a nuclear station but also a nuclear bomb. No matter how precise the control mechanism is, it will never reach 100 per cent accuracy. The problem is how to make it at least 90 per cent accurate.