The Internet is both amazing and terrifying: this revolutionary technology that changed the world is a breeding ground for useful resources, but also for malware and hacker mischief.

With the internet, we can be more productive in the office, but so is the temptation to sidestep tasks for a little more Facebook time topped with cat videos and online shopping.

To keep employees efficient and minimize security breaches, many organizations choose to filter access to web content.

What sites and services do companies block and why? And how much sense does that even make? Answers to these questions and more are provided by IT professionals in the Spiceworks community. For the Geletron team the topic is constantly on the agenda. You probably won't be surprised, but we add one more impression to the survey data - often employers, in their quest to maintain the balance between freedom and security, get lost for a long time in establishing the right measures for the particular company. Consultations with specialists are highly recommended to achieve a harmonious approach. The practice of searching for one paints the following picture:

Big Brother in the workplace

Most organizations monitor and restrict employee internet activity. 58% of organizations actively monitor the Internet the activities of his subordinates. Furthermore, 89% of them follow one or more online services/ sites, such as social media, streaming or online shopping.

The larger a company is, the more likely it is to restrict employee Internet activity on the corporate network. For example, the large enterprise 96% (1000 + employees) restricts at least one online service/site compared to the medium business 92% (100 to 999 employees) and the small business 81% (1 to 99 employees).

The most commonly restricted websites in the office

In a company of any size, the three most commonly restricted sites/services are:

•         illegal sites (85%)
•         unethical/ with immoral content (85%)
•         online dating sites (61%).

The number of companies that restrict is smaller social media (38%) or the chats (34%). Companies respect employees' desire to stay in touch with friends and family.

Somewhat surprisingly, only about a quarter restrict video streaming sites (like YouTube and Netflix), music streaming services (like Spotify), and online forums. Probably because many organizations publish their own content on YouTube, this channel is not seriously targeted.

Facebook gets blocked most often

Among big businesses, 53% block Facebook, 49% block Instagram and 48% block Snapchat. For comparison, with small businesses only 28% block Facebook, 27% block Instagram and 28% block Snapchat.

Interesting, just 16% of all place restrictions on LinkedIn, which can be used to search for a new job. Relatively few companies block music streaming. Before online music services existed, background music was common in offices. Now the freedom to choose a musical genre is respected.

Express yourself freely

Most online forums are usually not blocked. Companies apparently tolerate opportunities to ask questions and find answers, and rather prefer to stimulate healthy curiosity in their employees.

And something downright inexplicable against the backdrop of office content filtering policies – companies don't mind online shopping sites! Perhaps because many businesses make online purchases for work purposes and want to ensure reasonable levels of work-life balance.

Stop free surfing the internet for security

It is estimated that annually close to 40% of companies experience security incidents at least once. Therefore, the main reason IT departments restrict employees from online walks "in the open" is to protect office equipment from being infected with malicious software. It is an indisputable fact that viruses and hacker attacks can lead to information leakage and significant losses for companies.

The most common security incidents stem from the use of personal webmail (15%) and social media (11%). At the same time, less than 40% from organizations block personal webmail or social media.

Solutions, not a panacea

Internet content filtering in the office is a practice that supports productivity and better employee concentration on work, while also being a tool to reduce security risks. Of course, in the balance between maintaining a cozy yet secure online corporate environment, it is not possible to isolate all potentially risky sites. The good news is that with web filtering technologies IT departments can grant certain permissions on a selective basis to further reduce risk. For example, marketing departments have different needs than legal departments, which implies a different filtering policy. Those who have more network access "privileges" receive more training and have more responsibilities.

Multilayer filtering is comprehensive security strategy – flexible and dynamically changing to work effectively. It should be completely customized, not unified, to achieve your company's goals.

IN Geletron we really offer smart and practical solutions, with which the balance between freedom and security you seek can be achieved and maintained. We will be happy to learn more about your needs and assist you.