You run a successful business, and as the head of that office you work in, you want to keep it as successful as possible. One key requirement to that are the employees you decided to hire. You give them a task, and they ponder at in on their desks as they key away on their work computer. However, does giving your employees access to a computer mean instant success? Not always, as your employees may not always be using their computer access for specific work-related tasks. In the end, this costs your business time and money.

This is where Internet and computer content filtering software can play a crucial part in how just how well your employees will be in participating to make your business better. Internet filtering software can help keep your employees access on only work essential websites. The use of Internet content filters will better help the flow of productivity with the computers your employees use.

We all know people don’t always want to do work, and they’ll dillydally away distracted by something else until their clock tells them it’s time for lunch. With access to work computers, your employees could be costing you lost productivity time by surfing the net, playing games, or using instant messaging software. This can be controlled with certain Internet and computer software filters. By only allowing your employees to use work related Internet materials and software, you can be sure to see a jump in productivity.

With Internet activity dropped from your workers aimlessly searching the web for alternative non-work related activities, you can expect to see a drop in the amount of resources you need to keep your business connected. With less bandwidth usage, Internet and server costs will see a drop. This can enable you to save your company thousands of dollars a month, as well as see an increase in productivity, most likely increasing your company’s worth.

Is it worth installing Internet content filters? If you think it will increase productivity in your office, absolutely. Content filters can be an excellent way to save your business many, many dollars.

Before the computer was introduced to the workplace the employer had to keep a steady eye on his employees to make sure there was no horseplay going on. However, with the 21st century upon us, the computer has become an essential tool for the office. It is used to create, edit, read, and transfer documents that could someday make a company billions of dollars. However, to the employee not focused on doing his work, it has become a tool to escape the boredom and tediousness of “work.”

Why does an employer need to be aware that this will happen if he has employees on work computers? They should be aware because it is costing businesses, worldwide, billions upon billions of dollars. This isn’t happening on an employee’s personal computer while they are off the clock either. An employee may be using one-fourth of his hours during the work week chatting with instant messaging programs, surfing inappropriate content, or downloading files that can harm not only the company’s computer, but their whole system, as well.

Nevertheless, there are plenty of solutions to the problem the computer has brought to the workplace. Special software, like internet filtering software, can help deter an employee from visiting websites considered to be inappropriate for the type of work they are doing. Internet filtering software can constantly be modified to pick up new keywords that will block websites that shouldn’t be viewed in that office. Another type of software can log anything that happens on a computer, or block specific software applications that shouldn’t be downloaded or opened. Business assets can be protected by not allowing the use of personal email, and any emails sent with through the businesses email can be tracked and read. Key-logging software can keep track of every, single keystroke that happens on an employee’s keyboard.

All these types of software are essential for an employer in his office, because it could save a business millions of dollars a year on lost worker efficiency.  

A manager’s list of concerns. Once you have your own business and company, problems keep appearing.  A manager’s concerns refer to a proper development of the business, employees respecting company policy, minimizing the costs while increasing benefits and productivity.
Nowadays, solutions for keeping business going around and further more, for improving the business process, have been found and managers are implementing these results within their company.

Should I monitor my employee’s activity or should I restrict their internet access?  Internet usage within a company is a necessity and this question is the consequence of this fact. Employee monitoring software is a complex tool for recording employee activity starting with websites visited, application run, downloaded files etc. The manager’s responsibility is to warn the employee about this, otherwise he will confront the law.  Using a monitoring solution, managers can analyze reports regarding employee activity, breaking rules attempts, overtime and even idle or active time. Based on these reports he will easily decide how to face the problem or how to reward those who deserve.  

On the other side, using an internet filtering software, a manager will restrict the access to internet, and this, comparative to employee monitoring is legally in all countries around the world. It’s an advantage that must be taking in view. Internet filtering solutions offers a security feeling, because by restricting the access you know that employees will not visit inappropriate web sites, will not download files that might harm or corrupt your information.  The disadvantages of using an internet filtering software are that you limit the imagination of the person in cause and on the other side you don’t know how much of time is working or how much is wasted.

Internet filtering vs. Monitoring solution? The answer to this question, like you already figure it out, depends on each manager in part and on his company profile. Solutions presented above are developed to accomplish all managers’ needs regarding different aspects of company security and increasing productivity. What you have to keep in mind is that if you decide to use a monitoring software solution, fist, contact your jurist to be completely sure that is officially permitted in your country. There isn't an agreement that is morally right for everybody.

Filtering the internet can be done two different ways. You can physically block access to specific websites and internet applications using special internet content filter software. This is extremely efficient while doing what it is supposed to do: blocking inappropriate websites to users that shouldn’t be viewing that content. Furthermore it can always be configured to different levels of access. However, is it too much? Does it constrain an individual’s intellectual freedom? Should we instead rely on individual responsibility and what parents teach their children to what is appropriate to view on the web?

Some researchers say installing internet content filters are dimming our intellectual freedom, blocking important data that should be free and accessible to all. However, many reasons this type of software is installed is to increase productivity in areas like offices and businesses. Libraries and schools use internet filtering software to keep kids safe from viewing inappropriate materials such as pornography, illegal substances, and other content that could be considered harmful to children.

While many will say it should be down to how we teach our children what is appropriate to access on the internet and what is not, many children aren’t privileged enough to discover the internet with their parents. More and more parents work full time hours, sometimes leaving their children unsupervised at home, able to surf the internet several hours without proper guidance. Some parents may not know anything about the internet, and are unaware of the dangers it can pose to children. This can be an excellent reason that internet filtering software should be used.

It should be a parent’s responsibility to teach kids what to access, but sometimes even with that extra knowledge, kids can become misguided. With the extra backup of an internet filter, they are provided with more protection. All this information can be transpose to the business environment. As employees become the employer’s responsibility, it is very difficult to teach all of them that inappropriate browsing at work can damage the company. Thus, businesses also benefit from gained productivity with the use of access and content filtering.

Since the Children’s Internet Protection Act, otherwise known by the acronym CIPA, of December 2002, government has been setting regulations on the type of access to different types of internet websites and programs libraries and schools have. This meant any library receiving government money and subsidies and using it for their technology costs had to install software that would block websites deemed obscene, containing pornography, and other such websites that contained not suitable for children to view.

There are certain requirements public libraries need to pass in order to get funding from a program called ‘E-rate’ - a program ran in order to make technology more available and affordable for libraries and public schools. After the CIPA rule was put in place by the Federal government, any library or place using government spending must follow the strict blocking rules put in run by CIPA to continue to get funding from ‘E-rate.’ If these rules are not followed, they will lose their funding.

Libraries facing CIPA must implement policies that limit access to minors and inappropriate content, ensure safety of minors using email, chat rooms, chat software and other means of direct internet communication, hacking of systems and databases, and disclosure of minors personal identities.

Libraries have the option to install internet filtering software, which can give a library’s technical administrator complete control of what happens on a libraries internet connection. Many internet filtering programs are available and approved by CIPA standards after installation, however, these programs allow for much more control than what is just given.
Specific websites or websites containing special content or keywords can be blocked Music files and entertainment applications can also be stopped from being downloaded whilst incoming and outgoing cookies are filtered. Much of these programs allow you to install keyloggers, a program that will track every key pressed. Chat logs can be saved and stored, then analyzed at another time. Using such software enables a library to keep a safe environment for children, as well as continue to receive federal financing to buy more computers and upgrade older systems and software.

Downloading is what makes the internet spin its world-wide web. From the text, to the images, and all the files attached to your emails, as well as those files from P2P networks, they are all downloads that you should be aware of and watching in your office walls.

Downloading consumes bandwidth, which is an essential part of any online doing. Basically, if you have a high amount of bandwidth, or extremely quick connection, you will be able to download much more and much faster. Lower bandwidth settings will experience quite the opposite, and if a limit on bandwidth is reached, downloads could be cut off all together. Downloads include anything relating to an internet connection, so you may not even be able to access your favorite search engine page.

This is one of the reasons it is important for all downloads and uploads between your office’s computer users and other networks need to be tracked and logged. It provides you with valuable data that could help save you money, and save your company. If your company’s bandwidth use is too high, there are several methods you can undergo to help stop that internet shut-down coming your way.

Monitoring and restricting the downloads going on in your network is important as it allows you to track your companies work ethics. Are your employees on task, using their email to forward official documents to others and visiting only relevant websites, or are they chatting on MSN with their friends and looking an inappropriate material not meant for work?

Tracking bandwidth usages lets you know if files being sent across your network are too large. Large file downloads clog up your bandwidth and can slowdown your network if too many downloads are going on at once. An IT specialist can optimize a system to limit bandwidth to keep it at a fair level for anyone, and keep you below your total monthly bandwidth level.

Knowing what is being downloaded and how much of your bandwidth is being used is necessary for any company reliant on the internet to get business done. It can help you decide whether or not you need to upgrade your internet connection, or if you need to sit down and have a chat with one of your more download promiscuous employees. 

Internet content filters are an excellent way to give access to only some users to the whole of the internet, while creating blocks for users that should not be surfing different internet channels. If you have children you are probably pretty aware of what the internet can have in store from them. An internet content filter can help you by stopping a child seeing anything they aren’t supposed to. Are you an employer that allows employees to work online? Get them more focused on their work and off the internet with the special features that can be found in this type of software.

These internet content filters can be found in many different shapes and sizes. Most all internet filters should contain pop-up blockers and spam filters. Many of the basic software also include firewalls to stop any incoming traffic that shouldn’t be entering your computer. However, the extras that some internet content filters have are not the same as the next.

For nearly all applications, whether for children at home and school, or the big boys and girls with their suits at the office, the internet content filter you choose should have keyword filtering. You provide a set of keywords, much software with this feature already comes with a very expansive list, and if that term is ever searched, all results will be blocked. If the keyword ever appears on a page, that page might be flagged as inappropriate for whatever the reason that keyword is not allowed. Logging of these attempts should also be a feature, as it will allow you to track the who’s, what’s, where’s, and when’s of why the keyword was searched.

Keeping your kids safe online is no easy task. They are constantly growing and learning as the internet is literally shaping the society for the future of children. They have access to millions and millions of pages of information with a few strokes of their keyboard. Unfortunately, there are people out there who also have access to them. Getting internet content filters that have chat and keystroke logging is a good option that you may want to tick. This will allow you to see who is chatting with your children and what they are saying to one another. Don’t let your children get dragged into a trap by someone who is just pretending to be their friend.

Many mangers do not realize the high importance of installing Internet content filtering software in their company. But, thinking about the many advantages this kind of solutions have to offer they  should think that it is the time to stop the employees from downloading applications, audio-video files and browsing unproductive websites.  

There are a multitude of other important qualities that one will want to examine when purchasing internet content filtering software. Some of the latest software offer image recognition programs that will blog inappropriate images. Whatever it may be, make sure you know what your needs are when buying an internet content filter.

In our days the technology is so advanced that almost all the companies have Internet connection. This is why employees can have access to almost every thing they want: email, instant messaging, Internet shopping, games and even personal company information. The Internet has proven itself to be an addictive distraction for employees.

This Internet abuse could cost your company thousands of lost work hours and less productivity, which can finally affect the growing business process. This is why you can not afford to trust your employees’ activities are in company’s interest only. For this kind of problems was developed the so called Internet Filtering solution.

Internet Filtering, also known as Content Filtering or Web Filter, represents a software solution that monitors the Internet traffic and blocks the access to certain websites and files.

An Internet Filtering application allows general surfing on the Internet to take place with the exception of the filtered sites, so the requested web pages are displayed only if they comply with the specified filters.

The application’s administrator can also monitor and control the network use and abuse, by choosing to block access to all websites except the ones considered to be work related.

The main reason every company should have such a software is to control the business resources. An internet filtering solution prevents persons from viewing specific content considered improper and confidential by the computer’s owner or company’s manager. Thus, the employer can decide what employees can visit on the Internet, to stop music files and other entertainment applications from being downloaded.

To help mangers bring more value to their business, the Cyclope-Series company has developed a solution like this under the name of Cyclope Internet Filtering Proxy software. Cyclope Internet Filtering Proxy monitors the entire traffic and blocks the access to websites and files, according to the manger’s defined rules and settings.

Cyclope Internet Filtering Proxy prevents from being displayed web pages containing within their body any specified words, such as: adult, hacking and virus infected web sites. A major feature of this software is the multi-language support, so that non - English websites can be restricted as well.

This filter blocks the downloading process and the access to different file types such as: .exe, .bat, .avi, .mpg, .mpeg, .mp3, .wav .ace, .rar, and .zip. Cyclope Internet Filtering Proxy supports all Internet connection types, including dialup, cable modem, ISDN, DSL and ADSL.

For a better monitoring regarding the Internet activity, Cyclope Internet Filtering Proxy provides statistics and reports about all accessed web pages and breaking rules attempts. All this information is provided in a graphical format, which can be customized by using different filters and time intervals.

For more information about how to monitor and control your employees you can visit our web site: http://www.cyclope-series.com.