Protecting company interests, however, has to be balanced with creating a pleasant working environment for employees. Employees often assume an e-mail facility is as much a right and privilege of employment as a telephone line, says Internet researcher Arthur Goldstuck. Personal calls are considered a given and employees don't expect those to be tapped. He says companies must strike a balance between adopting a hard line and allowing employees some leeway to use the Internet for personal reasons. No-one likes the idea of Big Brother looking over their shoulder and companies would be wise to avoid fostering that impression.
Companies also have to confront tough ethical issues.
Any policy should be brief and easily understood. Many employees don't realise that most Websites can trace their activities back to their employer and even track which applications they are using. In other words, when a staff member surfs at work, they can compromise security. It is helpful to provide this type of information to employees in a policy. Once a policy has been developed, it must be communicated to all employees.