One of the biggest challenges faced by managers today is ensuring that their employees can deliver the necessary productivity for the company to achieve its goals. Among the numerous solutions available on the market, using tools to block websites is one of the most efficient alternatives and offers the best return on investment .
A large part of the activities carried out in the workplace depends on an internet connection. However, although this tool is essential for most tasks, it also represents a significant risk to productivity and digital security within businesses.
The main villains of productivity
Just as the internet offers unlimited resources and possibilities to bring more quality and efficiency to processes, it is also an environment full of distractions. Loss of productivity in daily life occurs mainly due to accessing and engaging in activities unrelated to work.
Even if the company has a Internet Access Policy designed to prevent this type of problem, it's common for employees to get distracted by content such as:
- Social media (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter/X)
- Streaming platforms (YouTube, Netflix, Spotify)
- Personal emails (Gmail, personal Outlook)
- Entertainment websites (news portals, blogs, forums)
- Betting sites (sports betting, online casinos)
- Pornographic or violent content.
According to recent research from 2024, employees spend an average of between 20 minutes and 1 hour per day on websites unrelated to work , with a significant portion using them for more than an hour daily, indicating a potential waste of up to 20% of the workday .
Why invest in productivity?
For a business to succeed in the market, it is essential that management is able to establish more assertive strategies to increase productivity. Having a productive team can make all the difference for businesses that want to stand out in the market and achieve ever-increasing quality in the services or products offered.
Investing in productivity is much more than just having the most efficient and modern resources on the market. It requires the company to know its employees well and understand the reasons behind decreased performance.
Data that proves the need
According to studies , the productivity of Brazilian workers has been practically stagnant for about 30 years . Although during the pandemic the country came closer to the global average, by 2024 national productivity had fallen to the equivalent of less than a quarter. This scenario reinforces the importance of adopting strategies that help teams maintain focus and avoid online distractions, such as using tools to block websites and manage internet access in companies.
It is very important for the company to understand that productivity is a completely different concept from production, since we are dealing with the quantity produced within a given time and with the available resources. Productivity does not focus on quantity, but on quality . Understand the difference:
Did you understand why your company needs to invest in productivity? Below are the main reasons to invest in productivity within your business:
Avoiding financial losses
A business's employees are hired according to available demand . This means that with increased demand, the company will hire more employees. If there is a drop, cuts may be necessary. But if the number of employees matches the demand and the company still cannot achieve its goals, it is necessary to examine the reasons behind this mismatch.
It is very important that employees deliver the expected productivity for their role, avoiding distractions and loss of focus. Having more employees than necessary represents a significant loss for the company , and just as other tools should be used with intelligence, the workforce must be developed to deliver what is expected.
To calculate the financial waste caused by unauthorized access, we use the following formula:
Company data:
- 50 employees
- Work schedule: 8 hours/day (176 hours/month)
- Average salary: R$ 2,500/month
- Estimated wasted time: 1 hour per day
How to calculate:
- Cost per hour per employee:
- R$ 2,500 ÷ 176 hours = R$ 14.20/hour
- Hours wasted per month:
- 1 x 22 working days = 22 hours/month
- Monthly waste per employee:
- 22 hours x R$ 14.20 = R$ 312.40/month
- Monthly company waste:
- R$ 312.40 x 50 employees = R$ 15,620.00/month
- Annual company waste:
- R$ 15,620.00 x 12 months = R$ 187,440.00/year
The identified optimization potential is R$ 15,620.00 per month. By implementing tools that help maintain focus on strategic activities, the company can direct these resources towards continuous improvement, professional development of the team, recognition programs, or expansion investments.
Customer satisfaction
Depending on your company's activity, the quality and speed of your processes can make all the difference to the consumer. If your company is more productive, it will meet demand faster and the quality of the product or service delivered will be higher. Customer satisfaction should be a priority for the business , since the organization's survival depends on its market position.
Data from CX Trends 2024 shows that 58% of customers stopped buying from a company after a negative experience . The study highlights how a good customer journey is essential to maintaining brand loyalty and points to the importance of strategies that promote positive experiences.
Improving the organizational environment
It is extremely frustrating to work in a business where some colleagues perform their tasks correctly while others fail to deliver the expected productivity. This type of inconsistency can lead to a loss of employee satisfaction with their work. Strategies and measures aimed at increasing everyone's productivity can level the playing field for employees within the business and prevent the overload suffered by your team.
Now that we understand the importance of investing in productivity, it's easier to understand why tools for blocking websites can contribute positively to business success . Blocking certain resources helps maintain focus on activities that are truly important to the company and prevents time available for work from being wasted on resources and access unrelated to the tasks performed .
Why block websites in your company?
When it comes to blocking websites within a company, there is a wide debate about the necessity of this type of strategy. It's important to remember that this type of blocking can deliver numerous benefits to the business.
It is very important that employees understand that this freeze is not being implemented to harm the team. Just as people have personal interests, the company also needs to invest in what is healthy and profitable for it.
In addition to representing a significant loss to organizational productivity, unauthorized access also poses a major threat to the security of networks and data stored by the business . Unauthorized access facilitates user contact with the main cyber threats currently used.
Recognizing digital traps can be a real challenge, so avoiding contact with harmful content helps the company stay safer and avoid the major losses caused by cyberattacks and data breaches.
In this sense, the implementation of tools to block websites in your company should happen in a healthy and transparent way. All employees need to be informed of the need to use this type of tool and what benefits this strategy can bring to everyone. Among the main ones, we can mention:
Smarter internet bandwidth consumption
Like any other resource, the internet is a tool that should be used intelligently for the benefit of the business. Unauthorized access ends up excessively consuming available bandwidth and hindering the performance of activities that are truly important.
Technical data:
- YouTube in HD consumes up to 2.5 GB/hour per user
- Netflix/streaming consumes up to 3 GB/hour
- 5 users watching videos simultaneously = 12.5 GB/hour
- Result: Critical slowdown in essential tools
With proper blocking:
- 60-80% reduction in bandwidth consumption
- 3x faster speeds in enterprise applications
- Save up to 40% on internet plans
Error reduction
Many of the mistakes made while performing tasks in the workplace are a result of distractions. If an employee performs their duties while accessing content unrelated to work, the greater the chances that this employee will make mistakes.
By implementing efficient and assertive control over the resources used, the chances of this employee making mistakes and causing losses to the company will be reduced , since their focus will be entirely directed towards tasks that are truly important to the business.
Increased internet security
Cybersecurity should be a priority for all businesses, regardless of size or industry. Contrary to popular belief, cyberattacks don't have a specific target audience. This means that even if your company is small or doesn't store confidential customer information, it can still be the focus of such an attack.
Cybercriminals can steal information, leak confidential data , damage company devices, hijack data, and more. For this reason, it is essential to block certain access points so that employees do not come into contact with the main traps set in the digital environment.
What are the best tools for blocking websites?
A quick search for website blocking tools reveals numerous resources available online. But which of these tools truly suit the needs of a Brazilian company? Which one can deliver all the features your company needs for effective blocking, with support in Portuguese, payment in Brazilian Reais, and an intuitive control panel?
Here are some of the main tools currently used to block websites:
| Tool | Description | Advantages | Disadvantages | Indication |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| pfSense | Complete firewall with website blocking and network protection | VPN, monitoring, load balancing | Too complex for users without technical knowledge | Companies with advanced IT teams |
| DNS Filter | Filtering by domain name, blocking inappropriate content | Precise filtering, network monitoring | Payment in dollars | Companies that accept higher costs |
| Cisco Umbrella | Basic content control with free and paid versions | Security, simple locking | Ideal for home use or small businesses | Small businesses or home use |
| Lumiun DNS | Centralized control, easy to use, support in Portuguese | Easy setup, intuitive panel | Primarily focused on corporate environments, and may not meet home needs | Medium and large-sized Brazilian companies |
| Lumiun Box | Intelligent monitoring, unified locking, detailed reports | Payment in local currency, comprehensive reports, simplified management | Physical equipment | Companies seeking cost-effectiveness and ease of management |
To learn more about the solutions, we've prepared a detailed summary of each one.
pfSense
This solution is widely used today and offers numerous benefits for businesses. pfSense functions as a firewall , securing devices and improving connection efficiency. It can also be used to block websites within your company, providing extra network protection against major external threats.
Despite having several extra features, such as secure remote access, load balancing, VPN, and network monitoring, it is a difficult and highly complex feature to operate, and is not recommended for all types of users.
DNS Filter
DNS Filters can block pages considered dangerous or malicious, and also filter out potentially inappropriate content . They achieve this by matching domain names to IP addresses, helping to control networks and resources more effectively.
Acting as a content filter, this tool helps monitor activities carried out in the digital environment. The disadvantage of DNS Filter is that, since it is not a national resource, payment for the tool must be made in dollars, which may represent too high an investment for the company.
Open DNS
This feature developed by Cisco has two distinct free versions: Family Shield and Home. The first version is best suited for controlling inappropriate content, primarily for parental control. While efficient, this isn't the best solution for businesses, as these organizations need to block other types of resources.
The Home version, on the other hand, is designed to increase device security and improve internet performance. While these solutions are free, they cannot meet all the needs of a business. Furthermore, their paid plans are more suitable for families and small businesses , and do not efficiently serve businesses with many users that require more comprehensive tools.
Lumiun DNS
Lumiun Lumiun DNS is an efficient solution for blocking websites and resources in companies with many connected devices, offering centralized and easy-to-manage control. With this tool, it's possible to significantly increase internet protection and security, preventing unwanted access, exposure to cyber threats, and inappropriate use of the corporate network.
In addition to being a robust solution, Lumiun DNS stands out for its excellent cost-benefit ratio. It is ideal for companies seeking to strengthen their digital security without having to invest in expensive and complex tools commonly found on the market. With simple settings and an intuitive panel, Lumiun DNS allows IT managers to control internet access practically, ensuring employee productivity and the protection of sensitive organizational data.
Lumiun Box
Lumiun offers a variety of tools designed to protect company devices and control internet access. The Lumiun Box is one of the best solutions available on the market, being highly functional and featuring an intuitive, easy-to-use interface.
Through it, it's possible to intelligently monitor the company's online activities, contributing to more assertive and specific internet blocking . This tool stands out for allowing payment in the national currency, which guarantees better cost-effectiveness for companies. In addition, this tool can also guarantee:
- Unified access control, eliminating the need for individual installation on each device;
- Blocking websites and resources based on usage patterns, users, groups, and specific times;
- Full reports;
- Remote access control tool for users working remotely or operating outside the company's location.
How do I know if my company needs to block websites?
It's very easy to find out if it's time to look for tools to block websites in your company. There are some clear signs that can be observed that indicate if your business is suffering from a loss of productivity. See:
- Frequent delays in task delivery;
- Priority activities are being carried out without due importance;
- Excessive friction between employees;
- Infection of devices by viruses and malware, causing slowness, freezing, or unavailability;
- Access to inappropriate content such as social media, gaming platforms, and pornography;
- Decline in business profitability;
- Accumulation of tasks;
- Between others.
An effective way to diagnose your network security is to perform an Internet Security Test . This allows you to assess whether access to harmful content is being blocked correctly and whether your company is exposed to risks that could compromise productivity and digital security.
Given these signs , it is extremely important that your company starts looking for tools to block websites , finding a solution that can meet your demands and needs.
As we have seen throughout this text, website blocking is not a futile or unnecessary measure to be implemented randomly by managers. This type of blocking helps to increase productivity and put your company back on the path to success.
Until later!
