1. Risk Management - A company can be liable for up to $150K per pirated work if it allows employees to use company networks to download copyrighted material. (RIAA, IDC)
2. Employee Productivity - The average worker wastes more than two hours a day online, equating to $759 billion in salaries for which employers receive no benefit. (MSNBC.com, AOL, Salary.com)
3. Preserve Server Bandwidth - One-third of time spent online at work is non-work-related. (IDC)
Which Internet Filter Solution is Best?
According to IDC, “Employee Internet Management (EIM) has traditionally been deployed at the gateway. Today's risks dictate that additional policy enforcement points should exists at the Desktop and network levels as well as at the gateway."
So which solution is best for your company? Lets review the different types of filtering technologies.
Server-side
Server-side Internet Filtering can range from software installed on your company server to hardware appliances. Most server-side solutions are URL based filtering, which is a list of allowed/not allowed web sites. Server-side solutions are a "one-size fits all" solution. Server-side filters are found in medium to large companies and organizations.
Client-side
Client-side Internet filtering resides on the desktop computer. The software works like anti-virus programs that monitor the local machine’s activities. Client-side deployments are very popular in homes and small businesses. Second-generation client-side filters have tools for mass-deployment of the software to large companies and organizations.
Best Solution
BusinessFilters.com suggests using a client-side solution for the most comprehensive filtering. The client-side solution must have the ability for central administration, reporting tools, and the ability for software mass-deployment. Client-side solutions remove the risk associated with the end-user removing the desktop/laptop from your Local Area Network. The software will filter, regardless of where it is connected. Filtering the closest to the end-user also reduces server load and allows for more dynamic based filtering. Client-side solutions are ideal for companies with mobile workstations, like laptops and employees that work from home.BusinessFilters.com recommends ContentWatch's ContentProtect 2.0 Professional. It meets all the requirements that we feel are necessary for effective Internet Filtering in the business environment.
