Expert: Edina Hodos - 9/26/2009

Question
I work for an organization with thousands of PCs all over the city and country.  I also work at different departments with as low as 5 people as high as 20 people.  We are privileged with the Internet access with the expectations that this privilege not be abused. No one I know downloads anything.  Recently I went to work in my department of 5 people to find out that 4 of the PCs had the Internet taken away.  We have only one tech and it's the same tech all the time for this site.  The e-mail he sent was: over the last 6 months one or more of  the PCs have been compromised by virus or other aware and have had to be cleaned and or rebuilt to solve the issue a minimum of 7 times worth the exception of the supervisor's PC it has never been one of the infected PCs.  I was dumbfounded as are my co-workers.  This is a big organization with alot of IT support and numerous security because of the information on these computers.  I have not had any any other problems at any department I have worked using the same systems going on the Internet careful not to go anywhere suspicious.  I know IT have blocked certain sites like Itunes, Facebook, dating sites and so forth.  Please make me understand the reasoning for this.

Answer
HI Karen

The real reason why you were denied internet access at work, is probably due to general misuse and downloading of prohibited items by co-workers.

I consulted with my very good friend, who is an IT manager at a major Canadian phone company. He tells me that corporate ethics do not allow the IT department to eleborate on the details of why internet access is denied. His "inside scoop" of what people do at work will probably suprise you. Dating sites are the least "offensive" in the list. Its things like people downloading personal intimate moments with their partners, to searching out christian gay communities to child pornography.

The fact, IT departments can trace user activity down to who did what, when and what they watched. IT has the access to a common screen that can show the present activity of every user in real time.  

I would guess, that what happened in your company's case, is that they know who broke protocol, but they can not single out an individual. So your whole department had the internet access cut.

If internet access is imortant to your work, I would approach your boss with facts and logical reasoning as to why you need access, and just simply ask for it back. Your increased productivity IS the first interest of your employer!