You may think that the last thing your company needs is another policy. That may be true, but there’s one policy that every company should have, big or small – an Acceptable Use policy that clearly spells out appropriate use of company technology.

A good Acceptable Use policy will:

• Clarify guidelines around the use and distribution of sensitive data (customer records, company plans and financial information, product designs, etc.) which are accessible through employee computers.
• Define ownership of information and privacy rights (for example, if the employer reserves the right to access all corporate email)
• Ensure speed of access and available bandwidth for work-related activities by restricting inappropriate use of computing resources.
• Set clear expectations around appropriate Internet usage during business hours and on corporate technology assets (can an employee check their Facebook on their lunch break?)
• Ensure the security and privacy of your company’s systems and network
• Comply with privacy legislation and applicable law

Companies should also consider a policy around employee use of social media sites while acting as a company representative.

If you don’t already have an Acceptable Use policy, we’re happy to provide a template to get you started. Send an email to info@//www.365tech.ca, with the subject ‘Acceptable Use Policy’, and we’ll be sure to send it to you.

If you have an Acceptable Use Policy, but you’re still having trouble getting compliance from your users, you may want to consider solutions for web filtering, including ‘white listing’ acceptable sites. 365MailSafe offers a full email and web security solution – feel free to ask us about it!