An information technology solutions company is pushing companies with heavy Internet use to crack down on office porn – especially if they'd like to avoid seeing their leaders in jail.
"Internet misuse goes far beyond staff simply wasting time at work," said RAMSAC managing director Robert May. "Companies are now legally obliged to stop serious incidents of Internet abuse such as storing illegal pornography. The law fixes criminal responsibility on companies that own and service the systems. Unless firms can prove they have taken reasonable steps to stop illegal material from being stored on their systems, prosecutions and even jail sentences could follow."
Citing Britain's 2004 Information Security Breaches Report, RAMSAC said the Net is the primary work system for staffers' abuse, and many companies run into legal and security issues because of it, including and especially illegal content.
May said the equivalent of more than a full day per work week on average is lost to workers' Internet abuse, costing British businesses an estimated £1.5 billion a year. And the companies also risk legal trouble from porn on computers and workers offended by the images if they should happen to see them.
"Companies that pay lip service to employee Internet and e-mail usage could find themselves in serious trouble," he said. "Strict IT usage policies must be implemented along with clear, unambiguous disciplinary guidelines if firms want to avoid legal claims and maintain productivity. This isn't about bosses being killjoys, this is about companies acting responsibly, showing consideration to all members of staff."
