A Prison Sentence - The real cost of office pornography

June 26th 2004:
RAMSAC, a leading IT solutions provider, is warning companies not to go soft on Internet pornography, after a DTI survey highlighted the risk of prison sentences being handed down to managers who don’t take reasonable steps to stop serious network abuse by employees.

According to the 2004 Information Security Breaches Report, the Internet is the primary work system for staff abuse, with many companies experiencing legal and security issues due to employee misuse. In the most serious cases, individual PCs and servers were found to contain illegal images.

“Internet misuse goes far beyond staff simply wasting time at work,” explains Robert May, Managing Director at RAMSAC. “Companies are now legally obliged to stop serious incidents of Internet abuse such as storing illegal pornography. The law fixes criminal responsibility on companies that own and service the systems. Unless firms can prove they have taken reasonable steps to stop illegal material from being stored on their systems, prosecutions and even jail sentences could follow.”

According to May, SMEs lose more than one day a week – on average – to staff Internet abuse, costing UK businesses around £1.5 billion a year. Besides the very clear implications of harbouring pornography, companies are also experiencing lost productivity and are opening themselves up to litigation from employees subjected to distasteful images.

“Companies that pay lip service to employee Internet and e-mail usage could find themselves in serious trouble,” adds May. “Strict IT usage policies must be implemented along with clear, unambiguous disciplinary guidelines if firms want to avoid legal claims and maintain productivity. This isn’t about bosses being killjoys, this is about companies acting responsibly, showing consideration to all members of staff.”

RAMSAC is hosting a free seminar on the 8th July at 5.30pm to highlight the issues of IT misuse. Speaking at the event, which will be held at RAMSAC’s headquarters in Guildford, will be Keith Potter, Employment Specialist at Stevens & Bolton LLP Solicitors who will be discussing the legal implications of failing to implement IT usage policies. Robert May will talk about how to create and implement these policies, as well as good practice for IT managers and software that can help companies police their systems. Those interested in attending should contact Melanie Wilcock, Events Coordinator at RAMSAC (melanie.wilcock@ramsac.com). More info at www.ramsac.com

RAMSAC was founded in 1991 by Robert May & Sally Cooper and was conceived as an IT consultancy advising businesses nationwide on technology policies, strategic planning, networking purchasing and support. RAMSAC’s outsourced IT services provide a range of flexible IT solutions including helpdesk support, network health checks, on-site engineering, security audits, project management, IT human resources support and technology migration planning and implementation. From its head office in Surrey, RAMSAC provides a wide range of IT solutions to companies, charities, organisations and schools throughout the United Kingdom. RAMSAC is an ISO 9001 Quality Approved Firm, a Microsoft Certified Partner and an accredited "Investor in People."

RAMSAC is proud to maintain a 94% client retention rate with 92% of customers rating the overall service as outstanding or good. RAMSAC is committed to unbiased advice, providing excellence in customer service and ensuring its employee always go the extra mile for each and every client.

For more information on the ‘IT-misuse – what every employer should know’ seminar, an interview with Robert May on the issues raised in this release, photography or background information, please contact:

Paul Wooding/Natalie Johnson
MCC International
T: 01962 888 100
F: 01962 888 521
E: ramsac@mccint.com