Cos limit internet use by staff

Businesses report increasing sophistication in managing employee Internet use at work, says a latest study.

More than three-quarters of chief information officers polled recently by Robert Half International said their company has either installed content-filtering or blocking software, instituted policies that detail acceptable web browsing or done a combination of both.

The national poll included more than 1,400 CIOs from a stratified random sample of U.S. companies with 100 or more employees. CIOs were asked, "Which of the following best describes your company's policy regarding employee access to the web?" Among the responses recorded were:

• 37%: Corporate policy is combined with software that blocks certain content from employees.

• 27%: Have a corporate policy that details acceptable web browsing by employees.

• 14%: Installed software that limits sites and content that can be accessed by employees.

• 17%: No policies are in place to limit web browsing by employees.