Ensuring acceptable Internet use

Posted 14/01/2009

Most businesses understand that they need to implement and enforce a number of policies to ensure they comply with the demands of the law. Policies governing employment, discrimination and data protection, for example, are regarded as vital in protecting the business from the risk of legal action.

So it is surprising that a report from Websense highlights that 23% of small businesses surveyed do not require their employees to sign up to an Internet use policy, while 16% have no policy in the first place. This means that virtually 40% trust their employees not to misuse Internet access. In a world where almost a third of workers admit to downloading music or video at work, this looks like a triumph for optimism.

Ashtons Legal Employment Solicitor, Ross Strowger, recommends that every business should require its employees to sign up to an Internet ‘Acceptable Use Policy’ (AUP) that can then be monitored to ensure compliance. It should identify specific actions that break the rules of the business, including:
visiting Internet sites that contain obscene, hateful, pornographic or other illegal