New research, published by the Centre for the Study of Media Technology and Culture (CSMTC), reveals that over a quarter of the UK workforce spends nearly five hours a week using the internet for personal reasons during work time, and nearly five percent spend over 24 hours every week looking at non-work-related material on the web.Online purchasing and Instant Messaging were identified as two of the biggest distractions for workers, although the research found that 80% believe that communicating with family and friends through Instant Messaging actually improves their productivity. A further 87% of respondents admitted to making private purchases during working hours.
Another major distraction is the upsurge in popularity of social networking sites such as 'Facebook'.More than 70% of businesses including banks and law firms have already banned the sites by putting internet filters in place.
A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: 'Access to some of these sites is blocked as there is no business need for employees to visit them.' The study also found that some companies are prepared to take action to try to contain the problem of 'cyberloafing' by using surveillance technology or limiting access to the Internet. However, in an interesting development, some organisations, such as the Trade Unions Council (TUC), are criticising the implementation of 'cyberloafing' restrictions 'Better to invest a little time in working out sensible conduct guidelines, so that there don't need to be any nasty surprises for staff or employers,' said the TUC.
Employee abuse of IT services is one of many subjects addressed in the IT and Information Security Workshop, which forms part of the Security Management Stage 1 Course.
Forthcoming workshop dates are:
22 November 2007
7 April 2008
11 August 2008
24 November 2008
Contact Janet for details.
22 November 2007
7 April 2008
11 August 2008
24 November 2008
Contact Janet for details.
