Employee Internet Management
Implementation Guide for IT Professionals

Planning the Implementation

After purchasing employee Internet management (EIM) filtering software, IT professionals should implement it in a way that is organized and consistent with the culture of the organization. Successful rollouts take into account three primary factors: 1) technical requirements, 2) organizational participation and 3) effective communication. IT pros who make network changes without preparing the rest of the company can foster complaints and services interruptions.

Technical Requirements

To minimize the time required to install EIM software, the appropriate hardware and software should be ordered in advance. Installation downtime should be scheduled at a time that will minimize the service interruption for employees, and a contingency plan prepared.

Installation

Installing EIM software on a production network depends on whether the solution integrates with a firewall or cache engine. The setup guides for each particular product should be consulted carefully, because in some cases the administration may be implemented from the firewall console, whereas in others it takes place on a separate box.

Maintenance

To cut down on the amount of maintenance needed when setting up an EIM system, IT professionals should schedule recurring tasks — such as running reports — to occur automatically. Reports can then be posted on protected Web sites for departmental managers to view.

Organizational Participation

Despite the amount of high-tech knowledge needed to physically set up EIM software on an average network, managing employee Internet access cannot fall on IT pros alone. It is crucial to divide responsibility among organizational sectors, such as human resources and operational executives, so that a balanced, complete message regarding Internet management reaches employees.

This means that companies should create a clearly defined Internet access policy (IAP), which serves as the blueprint by which EIM software is administered. To ensure that the proper groups are represented, management should get input from several different organizational levels, whether through meetings or informal polls. Sample Internet access policies can be found at www.websense.com/products/resources/iap/index.cfm.

These questions (below) can help IT, HR and management determine the content of the company's IAP:

• What type of Web content is never acceptable at work?
• What content should be allowed during the workday?
• What content should be allowed if an employee comes in early, stays late, or works through lunch?
• Are there employees that should be exempt from the above?
• Is there anyone who should never access the Internet from work?
• Does the vendor's Web category list need to be modified?
• Are there sites unique to the company that should be added?
• Does the company wish to permit access to specific classified sites?
• What types of reporting are desired and how often should they be run? Who should have access to them? How long should they be kept?
• What procedure should be followed if an employee is suspected of Internet misuse?

Effective Communication

Conveying IAP information clearly and frequently to employees will assist them in understanding how and why their existing Internet access will be managed. As with all new software installations, providing ample information about the implementation should minimize user complaints. An effective communications campaign, based on the technical and organizational work discussed in the first two sections, should accomplish this:

• Amend the employee handbook (or equivalent document ), including information about what is acceptable and what is not regarding Internet use at work. Give examples. Also, provide a section in the handbook regarding flexible surfing options, if appropriate.
• Add EIM information to the company intranet site and provide answers to questions such as what EIM is, why it is necessary and who determines the policy.
• At a minimum, notify all employees via an e-mail campaign. This will uniformly inform the company that an EIM solution will be implemented, and can usually be spearheaded by human resources or upper management.
• Think of other employee communications as a means to educate employees on the new software. This may include company bulletin boards in hallways, kitchens and common areas.
• Update employees regarding changes in the IAP due to shifting trends on the Internet. Emerging content and technologies, such as MP3 files and streaming media, require companies to notify workers of the organization's stance on the issue. Filtering software settings then need to be modified to reflect the policy.