Need Help Crafting an Effective Corporate Internet Policy for My Organization

Dear Members,

I would need a good Corporate Internet Policy for my organization. Can anybody please help me with this?

Hi Sunita,

I guess this is not the right place to ask that question because the internet policies are not formed by HR. They are normally formed by the concerned department, and that is requested to the IT Department.

But if we want to know some of the policies regarding HR, we can surely come up with certain policies:

1) No social networking sites (Orkut, Facebook, etc.) should be allowed.
2) No illicit sites should be completely inaccessible.
3) No entertainment sites should be available.
4) No personal emails should be allowed unless requested.
5) There should be a network where every email passes through a security check by the IT Department.
6) The contract people (if any) would not have access to the internet for any purpose whatsoever.
7) The Fixed-Term Employed candidates should have access to very limited sites.
8) There will be strict actions against employees who are found violating the policy by any means (including termination without notice).
9) The site should be protected by Cyber Roam, and every computer should have a powerful antivirus.
10) Every computer should be protected by an individual password, and no employee should eavesdrop on any of the personal computers or try to modify the properties.

I hope this might help you to frame some of the internet policies, although I am not a master of framing policies.

Hi Sunita,

We have the following instructions for internet usage:

You are not expected to use the Internet to check your personal emails during office hours. It will be taken into consideration during the performance appraisal.

Any personal work such as sending a resume for jobs will invite the issuance of a disciplinary note against the employee.

Opening or viewing of restricted sites is strictly prohibited. All such activities will be blocked and monitored if violated.

The use of the Internet for sending the organization's confidential documents will invite the termination of the respective candidate.

GS

Hi,

I hope this might help you in framing your policy.

Please let me know if you need any further assistance.

I use the internet to check personal emails and surf my personal sites. I even use Google Talk, and you HR can't do anything. HAHAHAHA :D:D:D:D

Internet Usage Policy

The following rules require strict adherence. Any infraction thereof could result in disciplinary action. Disciplinary actions range from verbal warnings to termination; the severity of the misbehavior governs the severity of the disciplinary action.

- The company encourages the use of the Internet for "Official Purpose." Personal use or time spent for personal gain is not encouraged.
- Once authorization is approved, you are responsible for the security of your account password, and you will be held accountable for all use or misuse of your account. You must maintain secure passwords and never use an account assigned to another user.
- Hacking is the unauthorized attempt or entry into any other computer. Never make an unauthorized attempt to enter any computer; such actions are a violation.
- Sending threatening, slanderous, racially and/or sexually harassing messages is strictly prohibited.
- Viewing inappropriate sites is strictly prohibited.
- Representing yourself as someone else, real or fictional, or sending anonymous messages is prohibited.
- Downloading a file from the Internet can bring viruses. Scan all downloaded files with Agency-standard virus prevention software.
- Never send, post, or provide access to any confidential Agency materials or information.
- Almost all data and software are subject to copyright laws.
- Care should be taken when accessing or copying any information that does not belong to you.
- Software that requires purchase or reimbursement for its use, such as shareware, must adhere strictly to the terms and conditions specified by the owner unless written permission for unrestricted use has been obtained.
- You are obligated to cooperate with any investigation regarding the use of your computer equipment that your general manager has authorized.
- Chain letters are illegal and may not be transmitted through email.
- For any incident, please report to the IT support team.
- For any software installation, please contact the IT support team.

So you are not in HR?

Jokes apart - my first company, an ITES company, had a strict internet policy. It worked, and a few employees were asked to quit for not following the policy and for sending confidential documents to other companies. They even filed a case against these employees. As per the appointment agreement, they had accepted to abide by the rules and also received orientation on the same.

:-) So Ravi - maybe a few companies are not taking it seriously. I guess the person who posted the request had a genuine reason. :)

But Asha, you yourself and the person who posted for internet policy themselves, and all are doing PERSONAL WORK which is surfing citehr in office timings.

So, the person who wants to make internet policy themselves, don't believe in following. What's the use?

ASHA, you yourself are using gtalk in office timings, which is personal work :-D:-D

I never denied that I don't use Ravi :-)
I only said that if some company is incorporating that - why don't you just accept that things can be monitored? If tomorrow I want the same done, I can do it. But the problem here is - many other things are yet to be sorted out :-) so maybe once that's done, I MIGHT think about it.

Ours is not dependent on "confidential" docs. Just a few of us have computers here, including my boss. The rest are all shop floor people. I don't know if I should break my head with that.

Hi Sunita,

I hope you have copied all the content, so I am deleting it from here.

Regards,
Shine

It is good to formulate a good corporate internet policy; however, following every clause of it is not possible at all. No employee can be engaged, or he himself can engage himself for every minute in doing "official work."

Browsing internet for me is a "stress buster," and I do not mind allowing my people to do so. Why do we have to believe people will browse the internet only for watching illicit sites or for net-socializing! Let's be a little open. There is so much available on the net that can enhance one's skills and knowledge.

Yes, illicit, harmful sites can always be banned by the IT Department, and that should be it. Let us not put so many clauses in the Internet Policy in the name of making a "good internet policy."

Awaiting backfires on my thoughts! Prashant.

Prashant, I agree and disagree with you.

I agree with your thoughts on internet policies to allow chatting sites and social networking sites.

However, I disagree with your attitude and views on making policies and the lines mentioned by you which are marked in bold. Prashant, just because surfing is a stress buster for you does not mean you should allow your people. Here, I don't know what words to use, but such a level of thinking is too low. Tomorrow, if you don't like something or like something, you will make a policy according to it. NO, NO, NO, NO, Prashant, policies should always be made taking into account many points and not only your view as the HR. This attitude of HR gets them the wrath of employees. So try to change it.

Well said, Asha. Company policies are meant to be respected and followed by all employees in the organization. Anyone not complying is not being honest towards their organization.

Dear All,

I have nothing to say, but let's be friendly. We are here to gather and share knowledge.

As per Sunita's request, I have some points to share about the Internet Policy. When focusing on the Internet policy, why not gather more information on Email, computer, and Intranet? Because based on Internet, Computer, Outlook/emails, and Intranet, everything will work. If you can gather information on the rest of the topics, then you can frame a single policy instead of creating more policies.

For your information about the Internet Policy, I can share with you and request other professionals to get back to me.

XYZ provides access to information available on the Internet/Intranet to its employees specifically for business-related and other permitted purposes only.

Employees should not use the Internet/Intranet facility in violation of any country's laws and regulations.

The downloading, possession, distribution, or copying of a copyrighted work (e.g., a computer program, document, photograph, piece of music, video, etc.) is an infringement of copyright unless properly authorized by the copyright owner. No one should download or store anything until satisfied that proper authorization has been obtained.

Any files or software properly downloaded into the XYZ network in compliance with copyright authorizations or licenses become the property of XYZ.

Images, audio, or videos may not be downloaded from the Internet using XYZ facilities except for explicit business-related use. Permitted file transfers or video downloads, etc., which are communications-intensive, should be scheduled for off-peak times.

The transfer or uploading of any software or data licensed to or owned by XYZ or any data about living individuals (personal data) is not normally permitted.

Normally, the transfer of any confidential/sensitive data pertaining to XYZ through the Internet is not permitted. However, with explicit authorization from the appropriate authority in XYZ, confidential/sensitive data pertaining to XYZ may be transferred across the Internet after being encrypted using encryption software approved by XYZ Management.

Users must not possess, access, display, archive, store, edit, record, or use (including sending to others) any sexually explicit, indecent, or obscene images or text on XYZ systems. Employees must disconnect immediately if accidentally connected to an Internet site that contains such material and should advise the Line Manager immediately if they receive any such unsolicited material of this nature.

Users must remain polite and respectful of the feelings and beliefs of others in all dealings on the Internet/Intranet and must not knowingly make any statements that may defame, slander, or intend to lower the reputation of any person or entity or their goods or services.

Employees who violate this policy will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

Waiting for the feedback.

Dear Ravi,

FYI, our company considers Citehr as a learning site. So what I think is, in whichever company you are, or I fear, even if you are a part of any organization, there would be probation for the usage of Gtalk or whatever site you might be surfing.

As far as Citehr is concerned, it is not an invalid site where people can just check in and increase the bit size of the internet protocols. It is considered one of the knowledge sites where people can join, post their doubts, or share their learning.

I hope this is much clearer now in your mind, Mr. Ravi.