IT Tips: There’s Danger Lurking on the Web
The Internet contains a vast wealth of information. It has changed the way research and commerce take place, as well as how we are entertained. Most of us know how easy it is to spend hours lost checking out websites and checking email. The Internet’s not all information and fun, however. There are risks to mindless surfing, and if it’s happening on your network, your business could be in danger.
Any site could contain a virus, but the more reputable a site is, the less likely it is to be of harm. Any site that is inappropriate for the workplace is also very likely to contain viruses and spyware. Educating your employees to avoid these sites may feel like overkill, but it’s better to be clear about your expectations than to learn the hard way that someone just didn’t get understand.
Warez sites, which are common hubs for downloading illegal software, are another huge risk. Not only is much of the software pirated, it often contains viruses and spyware that you don’t want on your network. It’s not worth saving a few dollars if it means putting your company in harm’s way.
Even seemingly harmless sites can cause issues. Streaming music and video or large downloads can take up huge amounts of bandwidth. This waste of resources could slow your system to a crawl, hindering legitimate business. Not only that, social sites are now taking up record amounts of employee time—time when they are getting paid to do actual work!
The Internet doesn’t have to be a frightening place for your network. You already have security measures in place, but by eliminating some of these other risks you can save your system and resources from being sucked in to the dangers lurking on the web.
Daniel Gottilla author
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