The use of the internet has become fundamental in virtually all companies. A large part of the activities and processes are carried out with the help of technology, such as contacting clients, negotiating with suppliers, marketing and sales actions, quoting product or service prices, management applications, cloud computing services, and countless other resources.
However, the same tool that enhances work can jeopardize productivity and generate additional costs if misused. This happens because the internet, with its vast array of websites and attractions, can easily distract employees.
In this scenario, defining internet usage policies is important for managers due to the risks and expenses caused by internet misuse. Monitoring software and systems are useful tools to ensure the manager's peace of mind regarding employee internet access.
Throughout this text, you will see some signs that your company needs to define an internet usage policy in the workplace.
Slow internet
It's common for companies to encounter problems with slow internet speeds. When this happens, the first reaction is to blame the internet provider, since the contracted bandwidth should guarantee fast browsing. However, the problem may not be with the provider, but within the company itself.
Uncontrolled access to video websites, podcasts, social networks, and file-sharing services consumes a considerable portion of available bandwidth. In some cases, these resources can consume up to 80% of internet traffic in companies.
Furthermore, computers infected with viruses and malware can use a significant portion of the company's internet bandwidth for criminal purposes without the device user even realizing it.
Systems that protect against and identify excessive internet usage, or bandwidth management tools for devices, can help in this scenario.
Low productivity and delays in task delivery
For no apparent reason, employees and staff begin to experience a drop in productivity. It has become common for managers to find this type of situation; in this case, how can they identify the reasons and resolve the issue?
When this problem occurs, it's possible that employees are wasting their time on the internet. In Brazil, 96% of internet users use messaging apps daily and 97% use social media daily, according to the We Are Social 2020 . It would be an illusion to believe that a large part of this access and use of social media, for example, doesn't happen during work hours.
Expenses related to security and equipment maintenance
One of the main signs of internet misuse is the constant occurrence of viruses and slow computer performance. Accessing unknown or harmful websites and clicking on malicious emails often install viruses and spyware on computers. This usually leads to system malfunctions and can compromise equipment performance. In this case, the solution is always to take the equipment for maintenance, which generates additional expenses and wasted work time.
These problems can be even more serious when they involve security and access to confidential company information. Viruses installed on computers can provide access to company data to third parties who use the power of this information to cause harm to users or even to the company itself.
Corporate email without control
Does your company know how its employees use corporate email? What types of attached files are sent or received? How many malicious messages and spam are sent? Is the email system capable of blocking and preventing access by viruses and spyware?
If the answer is no to any of these questions, it's possible that your company's corporate email is being misused, leading to employee downtime, consumption of extra resources, and risks to your company's data and equipment.
What should be done if the company is experiencing these problems?
It would be possible to list countless other signs of internet misuse. But the central point that managers must understand is that the internet is present in most business processes, and maintaining this resource without any kind of control will always negatively affect productivity, process quality, and the company's finances.
To address situations like those described above, the best solution is to implement an internet usage policy. This policy can be achieved through formal documents and employee training, or more comprehensively and efficiently through the use of monitoring, access control, and website blocking services such as Lumiun Box .
It is also common for managers to perceive the investment in implementing internet control as an additional expense. However, with a simple calculation, the expenses generated by the items described above certainly add up to quite high values, much greater than the investment needed to solve these problems.
The main objective of this text is to show the importance of using the internet correctly, as this will benefit everyone in the company: employees, managers, and partners.
I hope this text has been helpful to you in some way and helps your company achieve greater productivity and security online.
Until later!
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