If you own a business, you are likely interested in finding out more about Internet management solutions when it comes to your employees. Knowledge of such solutions can increase the productivity of your employees, which means that employee Internet management education and training can save your business money. You can choose how much and how often you monitor usage among your employees, so think about your preferences before you commit to one type of management system.

There are plenty of employee Internet management tools at your disposal, so select the ones that work best for your business. Consider the following ideas to learn more:

1. Attend a seminar or webinar that teaches ways to monitor employee Internet usage.
2. Check out employee Internet management software sites for little-known tips.
3. Learn the legal aspects of employee Internet filtering.
   

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find a seminar or webinar that teaches EIM solutions

There is plenty of training available on the subject of employee Internet usage, so find a seminar near your office to brush up on the latest information. If you can't make it in person, think about watching a webinar, instead.

I recommend: Infosecurity US offers a webinar that teaches managers to avoid the negative effects of employee Internet use while allowing the advantages that proper use brings. Go to Center for Internet Addiction Recovery to arrange a seminar at your own company to prevent and avoid Internet usage problems in the workplace.

Read up on EIM software sites to find tips

Software sites often provide good tips regarding employee Internet monitoring. Arm yourself with as much knowledge as possible before you make a decision on how to manage Internet usage in the office.

I recommend: Get ideas for managing employee Internet use from SpectorSoft. White papers are available for free at the Fast Data Technology website. Read them to find out more about the importance of managing Internet usage among employees, along with tips.

Get to know any legal issues involved with employee Internet filtering

You might wonder if the solution you have in mind is legal. Take the confusion out of the subject by finding out for sure what employee Internet monitoring tactics you can use. Many websites about employee Internet monitoring solutions mention the legal aspects, so get educated before you implement any new policy.

I recommend: Processor offers an article regarding the legal aspects of monitoring Internet usage, as does the Strategic HR Services website.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you are still not sure about the legality of a particular employee Internet monitoring tactic, talk to a lawyer about it. You will be better off safe than sorry, as privacy rights that may apply could get your business into legal trouble.

Managing Internet usage is one way you can increase your company's overall productivity, prevent data theft and leakage, and stop inappropriate web activities. Employee Internet management software is a great tool to help you achieve this and with a number of options from multiple vendors, you can find the product you need online.

With a large number of data transactions taking place through digital networks, it's no surprise that the majority of data leaks come in digital form. Internet management solutions can keep your company data secure, as well as make sure employees are on task, by monitoring employee Internet use or limiting the sites employees can visit. Know the options available before purchasing EIM software, including:

1. Monitor and filter all employee digital communications and Internet use.
2. Prevent data loss, both unintentionally or by employee theft.
3. Receive a free trial of EIM software before making a purchase.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Monitor employee Internet usage

Employee time spent surfing the Internet can add up to countless hours of lost productivity, which in turn means money lost for your company. Having EIM solutions in place will help you track down users abusing their Internet usage, block sites entirely, or even control Internet usage through the threat that every website visit may be watched. Find the employee Internet management software that offers the solutions you need, including email and instant messenger monitoring, web surfing, keystrokes, and online searches.

I recommend: SpectorSoft sells a number of EIM solutions. Monitor Internet usage and also capture screenshots of work being done on your network. Pearl Software's Echo products monitor all Internet, email and instant messenger use.

Prevent data loss and theft with employee Internet management software

Sensitive data may often be lost or stolen through your network. Sometimes basic Internet monitoring software is not enough to catch the data before it leaves your network. Look for advanced data loss software solutions to help eliminate the risk of lost data.

I recommend: Awareness Technologies offers employee Internet monitoring solutions that go beyond simply monitoring Internet use. Their bundle of data loss prevention software can track files and scan email attachments to ensure that no data is being inappropriately viewed or sent. 8e6 Technologies offers real-time threat monitoring that helps pinpoint suspect and potentially dangerous web activities on your network.

Get a free trial of employee Internet management tools

There are a number of EIM options available for you to consider. The best way to compare products is by actually using and testing them on your system. Look for vendors of Internet management software that offer free trials of their products to test multiple solutions before paying a cent for any of them.

I recommend: Wavecrest Computing provides Internet management solutions to help you monitor and filter employee Internet use. Get a free trial of any of their EIM tools before buying. GFi WebMonitor software lets you control employee Internet use and monitor downloads in real-time, as well as block spyware and viruses. Download a free trial to evaluate their software for yourself.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Employee Internet management software allows both real-time monitoring as well as reporting options. Receive updates and alerts on suspicious activity, or read an overall analysis of employee Internet usage at the end of the day.

EIM, or employee Internet management, allows employers to control what employees view, how much time they spend online while at work and what data is sent over the Internet. Shopping for employee Internet management tools can quickly become overwhelming. Learn the meaning of employee Internet management key terms to expedite your shopping process. Terms such as "data loss prevention," "filter," and "phishing" have meanings that may differ in this context. Familiarize yourself with these key terms to help you to find the employee Internet management tools that will serve you and your company the best.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Monitor

To monitor an employees' Internet usage means that you can see all of the web pages an employee has visited over a specific time period. This can be done after the fact or you can monitor usage live with the right software.

I recommend: WiseGEEK provides an informative article about the details of motoring employee Internet usage.

Filter

Internet filters allow you to specify exactly which sites your employees are allowed to use. For example, you can filter out all media and personal sites such as You Tube, MySpace or Facebook.

I recommend: Read more information about Internet filters at Websense. National Institute on Media and the Family explains how Internet filters work.

Data loss prevention

Data loss prevention software is designed to scan and protect all information coming into or going out of a computer. This includes but is not limited to emails and downloads.

I recommend: Read more information about data loss prevention software at Awareness Technologies.

Advanced data recovery software

Advanced data recovery software is similar to data loss prevention software. However this software is designed to retrieve information that may have been lost through computer networking.

I recommend: Find more information about data loss recovery at Icrontic.

Phishing

Phishing is the act of deceiving people and convincing them to divulge financial and personal information. People phishing often appear as government or financial agencies. Phishers commonly use email and instant messenger to contact new people.

I recommend: Visit InsideIDtheft for detailed information about phishing.

Malware

Malware, or malicious software, is a software program that damages or corrupts a computer. Malware includes viruses, spyware and worms that are designed to attach themselves to a computer and attack it.

I recommend: Read more information about malware at Personal Security Online. ArticlesBase.com supplies information that helps you understand what malware is and how it works.