Keep Business Computers for Business Use Only

It’s amazing how many businesses give their employees free reign on their computers without a clear understanding of how much this freedom is costing their business in IT Support dollars and lost productivity. The vast majority of personal purchases made on the Internet are made where? At work. Where do you think all of the viruses and spyware that make it to your network are coming from? They’re coming primarily from personal email use and surfing of unsavory websites. They’re also coming from other software downloads that people just love to put on their computers: Kazaa, Weatherbug, and screen savers, to name a few. These programs often leave an unsecured back door open on your network, and always use valuable memory and processing resources on your computer.

Put an IT Support policy in place that clearly defines good use of company computer resources so that employees are aware of the boundaries. Better yet, use a tool that allows you to track which sites people are surfing throughout the day, block access to specific websites as you see fit, and prevent unwanted downloads to your network. Obviously, you need to decide how much of a “Big Brother” approach is right for your business environment, but you should realize that every bit of additional leeway you give is costing you money. Make it clear to your employees that business tools are for business use.

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