Articles
- Social networking ain't what it used to be
- PinQ is the new green...
- Environment Awards
- Kent Fire & Rescue Service
Social networking ain't what it used to be
For many of us over a certain age it's all a bit of a mystery, this social networking malarkey. And whether or not you tweet on Twitter, have Facebook friends, bid for bargains on Ebay or watch your favourite rock combo on Youtube, it's a dead cert that at least some of your staff do. The question is, are they doing it on your time?
It is estimated that 30-40% of internet use in the workplace is unrelated to business and research has shown that the average British worker spends 90 minutes a day surfing the web at work for personal purposes - the equivalent of 43 days a year. IT Managers agree, estimating that employees on average spend 50 mins per day on social networking sites alone.
Quite apart from the loss in productivity, it is very likely that unrestricted web access will leave your network infected with undetected malware as social-networking sites do not monitor content for the hosting of malware. Experts at security firm Sophos said that in 2009, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn have faced attacks which had been especially designed to compromise PCs and steal confidential information. And while it might be inconvenient if a home PC falls into the hands of the cyber-criminals, it's a very different ball-game when it's your business that's compromised.
It's not plain-sailing for employees, either. Many people display toe-curling openness about their personal feelings and experiences when it comes to social networking sites. Take the woman who was apparently fired after abusing her boss on Facebook - and forgetting he was on her friends list. Her boss responded a few hours later opening with: "Hi Lindsay, I guess you forgot about adding me on here?” and continued, “...you also seem to have forgotten that you have 2 weeks left on your 6 month trial period. Don't bother coming in tomorrow..."
Another example concerns an employee who disparaged the supermarket he worked for on Facebook. He thought his views were only visible to his online friends, but a colleague printed off the remark and showed it to his boss, who fired him on the spot.
As these incidents illustrate, with little to delineate business PCs from the average home PC, the line between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour get a little blurred. In some cases bosses do not want to believe their staff are using the web for non-work related purposes and have little understanding of the compelling nature of the networking phenomenon.
But with court cases growing and malware on the rise, it's becoming increasingly important that employers take responsibility to restrict internet access. The social networking explosion is not going to go away and with up to 85% of malware now distributed via the web, proactive security is a necessity.
However, many small to medium sized businesses are highly cost conscious and have little time to deal with the problems associated with web security. So here's a few questions to ask:
- Do you know what your employees are doing on the web each day?
- How do you monitor and measure this currently?
- Do you have web filtering in place and, if so, how resilient is it?
- Do you have an acceptable internet use policy? If so, how do you enforce it?
- How do you protect mobile users?
- Do you see any risk in staff uploading documentation to web sites at work?
Not knowing the answers or not having the right protection in place could have major repercussions for your business. So, if any of this has got you pondering, then call us on 01227 750555
SPECIAL OFFER - call us now and receive up to one hour's free consultation regarding any aspect of your business computer system. (Please note: we assure you this will not be a thinly veiled guise to sell you something, or move you away from your existing IT provider if you have one. Our motive is blatant – we want you to know just how good we are!)
For Access IT Ltd, PinQ is the new green…..
Computer systems are the black hole of an organisation’s accounts and with the recent release of power-hungry applications, that hole is set to become even bigger. Indeed it is predicted that within the next five years energy costs alone could eat up more than a third of IT budgets.
Whatever the cost financially and environmentally, reverting to desk diaries and the typing pool is not an option. However, there are alternative 'greener' solutions that are rapidly gaining ground.
Access IT Ltd, based in Faversham, have been providing network solutions that combine technologies. From Open Source software with unrestricted user licences, built-in office suite and built-in resilience, to the current crop of the best from Microsoft, Citrix and Apple. Systems that not only use less energy, but also integrate with existing equipment. The life cycle of hardware therefore increases, reducing the amount of PCs that end up in landfill sites. This approach won Access IT an Environmental Award.
So why isn’t every SME switching over? Fear of change is of course a factor, but an increasing number of organisations – both large and small – are finding that change can be implemented gradually while enjoying the enormous benefits immediately.
Environment Awards for Kent Business
Access IT are proud to have received an award at this prestigious ceremony. The standard of all the entries was very high, but after a rigorous judging process, Access IT was declared a finalist and awarded 'Highly Commended'.
The judges were particularly impressed with our range of PinQ servers, which fit seamlessly into most offices and not only use up to 80% less energy than other systems, but also integrates the client's older, lower specification equipment.
Access IT Help Kent Fire and Rescue Service Avoid Virus Emergency
Access IT were asked to install the Sophos Enterprise Manager across the Kent Fire and Rescue Service's 67 sites - covering 500 PCs/terminals and around 1800 users.
Helping to ensure the smooth running of offices, the suite will help protect vital management and administrative information, which is the backbone to the emergency service being provided. Access IT also provided on-site training and after sales support.
Sophos is a world leader in anti-virus and anti-spam protection for businesses. Kent Fire and Rescue Service has installed Sophos's Enterprise Manager suite to assist in protecting its IT systems against virus infections. Enterprise Manager will allow the Service to easily administer the Sophos Anti-Virus software by providing automatic updates.
