NetiSafe provides employers with the ability to monitor and control employee’s Internet activity. There is no question regarding the importance of controlling inappropriate Internet use and the need to protect your Network’s security. However, several employers are wary of implementing such a tool, with concerns of invading employee privacy.

Techies say they'll tolerate bosses who track their Web travels at work - but they'll complain if the boss wants to read their email ( Edmonds and Braasch).

This is a grey area within the legal system because the industry is in its infancy. There have been several legal battles; however laws and regulations are unclear. Therefore, HyGuard has established a list of best practices in order to ensure that our customers protect themselves from potential problems created by this legal uncertainty.

Best Practice: Steps to Avoid Privacy Legal Issues

1. Ensure that content filtering/Internet monitoring is serving a business purpose, for example increasing productivity or decreasing legal liabilities associated with inappropriate usage.
2. Inform employees that their Internet usage is actively monitored for business purposes.
3. Strictly define appropriate Internet usage through Internet Policies and enforcing employees to accept an Acceptable Usage Policy (which we provide to you) before initiating NetiSafe in “Stealth Mode”. When NetiSafe’s content filtering is operating in “Stealth Mode” all Internet activity is monitored without any indication to the end-user. However, it is recommended that you enforce acceptance of an Acceptable Usage Policy which informs employees that, from then on, they will be actively monitored. This will ensure that operating in this mode does not constitute an invasion of privacy.

Helpful links regarding Internet monitoring and privacy issues:

Monitoring Employee Communications
http://www.gahtan.com/alan/articles/monitor.htm

Monitoring Employees at Work
http://www.bizhelp24.com/business_law/employee-monitoring.shtml