As extreme or unfriendly as it may seem, blocking websites in the company and at home office is, indeed, an important management process .
In fact, in the previous article, we reinforced and explained the advantages and benefits of this process: blocking employee websites: synonymous with security and productivity .
Of course, the focus was on managing employees' internet access .
However, this, which is considered one of the best practices in internet security for companies , cannot be disregarded or relegated to the background.
That's why it must extend beyond the company environment to the homes of employees who are working from home .
Reasons to block websites while working from home
Certainly, almost all companies in the world have the internet as an essential tool and even differentiated strategies based on web access and the management of digital data and information.
The pandemic, which will be two years old soon, has indeed accelerated the digital transformation of economic and social sectors worldwide. An undeniable legacy of COVID-19.
Therefore, with some or all employees working from home, blocking websites both at the company and while working from home remains necessary and urgent .
You, as a business owner or IT manager , can access complete content on why blocking websites is important and the benefits of controlling internet access on the lumiun blog .
But now, what interests us are the reasons why blocking websites in the company and at home office is so important .
#1 Improve productivity and quality in tasks
Blocking non-work-related websites while working from home is an effective strategy for increasing productivity and ensuring higher-quality tasks. Without distractions like social media, streaming platforms, or shopping sites, employees can maintain a more consistent and focused pace , resulting in faster, more assertive deliveries.
#2 Reduce costs and increase profitability
Indeed, controls and technologies to block websites while working from home have a positive impact on companies . Increasing productivity leads to cost reductions and, consequently, increased profitability.
#3 Reduce time wastage and stay focused on work
Furthermore, limiting access to non-essential content helps reduce time wastage , preventing short breaks from turning into long periods of distraction. This helps you stay focused on your work, meet deadlines more efficiently, and better balance your professional and personal lives.
#4 Expand data and information security
Internet security is essential, not only in the company but also in home offices. After all, security threats and breaches can cause significant losses, such as data loss or the need for maintenance and repairs to equipment and systems.
#5 Protect your network, devices, and systems against internet threats, reducing the risk of viruses and malware.
It's possible to prevent access to low-reputation and harmful websites. This allows you to control internet access, increase network protection, block websites while working from home, and reduce problems with viruses and malware.
#6 Optimize shared broadband speed: faster internet
Blocking websites while working from home prevents unauthorized access to videos, social media, and other bandwidth-intensive sites. This ensures that the entire internet connection is available for company activities.
#7 Effectively monitor and control internet usage
With a comprehensive access management service, you can generate detailed reports on websites accessed by time, user, or device . This provides important information for verifying employee engagement and accountability.
#8 Improve the performance of systems and computers
Without running programs to access videos and social media, for example, systems and computers perform better . In other words, blocking websites while working from home makes work more stable and productive.
#9 Reduce equipment maintenance costs
With the network and internet access protected from threats, slowdowns and computer failures are avoided. This also reduces equipment maintenance costs, which further prevents forced downtime.
Blocking websites in the company generates shared benefits and a win-win scenario.
Without a doubt, inaction is not an option when the lack of control over internet access causes most incidents and data security breaches.
Especially in small and medium-sized companies, users are the biggest gateway for malicious attacks and virus infections of devices, networks, and systems.
Furthermore, the vast majority of employees fail to identify risks and end up accessing malicious links and fake messages .
That's why DNS filtering tools are great solutions .
Because they combat digital threats and eliminate many internet security problems by blocking websites in the company and at home offices.
Business owners, IT professionals, and employees need to understand that, more than recommended , blocking websites in the company and at home office is advantageous and beneficial .
For the company, because it optimizes team productivity and reduces costs .
Likewise, for employees, who carry out their work without distractions and generate better results.
“win-win” scenario .
In other words, when a good policy is adopted to block websites in the company and in home offices, there are benefits for all parties involved .
That's why creating and implementing rules for browsing and blocking websites in the company and at home should be a process shared by everyone, from the beginning.
Ways to block websites while working from home
In the company environment or in employees' homes, the need is the same: block websites to increase productivity and reduce costs .
What changed during the pandemic is that small and medium-sized companies had to adopt a remote work regime .
Certainly, a headache for business owners and, especially, IT professionals, who were responsible for blocking websites at the company and at home office .
So, as I did with the “reasons to block websites when working from home”, in this article, I will only mention four of the main ways to block websites for employees working from home .
To access the full content, click here .
Here are some ways to manage your employees' internet connection and block websites while working from home:
#1 Browser Configuration
It doesn't matter which operating system you use. Above all, the important thing is to configure it to block websites considered harmful or unwanted while working from home. Lumiun Lumiun DNS can be a good tool to help with browser access control, enabling granular access control across devices, monitoring access and blocking in real time. This option is the simplest, but it suffers from the possibility of the end user editing the browser settings and returning to the default without blocking.
#2 Hosts
If the operating system is Windows, as is the case in most companies, it's possible to configure some changes in the Hosts file . This way, it's possible to block inappropriate or harmful websites, even when working from home. However, operating and managing this solution is archaic, requiring a certain level of technical knowledge and time to manage each device individually. Furthermore, it doesn't guarantee blocking due to DoH alternatives, for example.
#3 Browser Extensions
Additionally, blocking websites while working from home is made easier by installing browser extensions to filter search results. One example is BlockSite , which allows you to block access to pornography (Free plan) and some other applications, such as social media (paid plan). However, browser extensions are easily bypassed, either by removing the browser extension or switching browsers.
#4 DNS Filter
DNS blocking restricts website access. DNS filtering tools offer comprehensive features and solutions for data security. They also facilitate the implementation of internet access policies defined by companies when blocking websites while working from home.
Finally, the various tools and ways to block websites while working from home bring advantages to companies and their managers .
After all, they not only restrict internet use and remote access to data on the company's internal network , but they also help with system fluidity and keep the data used more secure .
Evaluate solutions for blocking websites in the company and at home office
When choosing a tool to manage internet access and block websites in your company or home office, the decisive features are certainly: interface, technical support, reports, and features .
Therefore, the more professional the requirement for data security when accessing the internet , the fewer options IT managers and business owners will have.
That is, there will be fewer tools capable of offering total control and complete management of internet access with adequate levels of protection and security .
Thus, among the alternatives available on the market, we have solutions such as Cisco Umbrella , DNS Filter , Fortinet FortiGate , Lumiun Box , Lumiun DNS and pfSense .
Although they differ greatly from each other, not all of them adapt to or meet demands such as blocking websites in the company and at home office or protecting data security.
Don't forget to compare!
See the comparison table with the main features and differences between the most common solutions on the market.
Probably, analyzing the table above, Lumiun Box should be the most sought after to control internet access .
Certainly, among the main reasons, three are most relevant for business owners, managers, and IT professionals when deciding on a solution to block websites in home offices and in the company available on the market:
#1 offer economic viability and payment in Real (R$).
#2 Ease and simplicity of installation and management. Certainly, the solution that doesn't require specialized professionals for system maintenance and operation will have an advantage .
#3 be available in Portuguese (control panel, system and support).
Although there are some alternatives, the set of advantages and benefits that some of the solutions mentioned deliver is surprising .
Without a doubt, the differences and facilities offered are what make internet access management solutions more effective when it comes to blocking websites in home offices or in companies, through internet access control .
