IT Security is crucial for keeping the office systems clean of viruses. Certain sites cause pop-ups and viruses, hence the choice for some businesses to block specific sites. For marketing teams at many companies, social networking sites like Facebook and YouTube are essential for pursuing marketing strategies, but may cause trouble for the servers. However, I think it all depends on the industry your business is in. Does your company need social networking-or should it be blocked? As stated on ITNEWS, “If you work at the Department of Defense, I don't think any time at a social networking site on a secure computer is acceptable.”
Yet, there are sites that are universally blocked at all companies, some being pornographic and gambling sites. It goes without saying why these sites are blocked at the office.
Unfortunately, some employees have been working around blocked sites ignoring the consequences that follow. This puts the company’s network at risk. Hugh Thompson, Program Committee Chair of the RSA, said, “Industrious employees can, and do, find ways around site restrictions at work, potentially putting your network, data and even intellectual property at risk. Some workarounds can be dangerous because they might create a channel that data can flow out through that is not managed or monitored. These types of bypasses might make defenses like some data loss prevention systems less effective."
Some workarounds that employees are using include:
1. Typing IP address instead of domain name
2. Finding a cached version
3. Hiding behind encryption
4. Using proxy servers and other privacy-friendly tools
5. Using smart phones
As an IT company, The TNS Group must take all necessary precautions with which sites can harm our servers. Look into ITNEWS “Workarounds” to find the security fixes when employees enter blocked sites.
Tara McKenna
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