Much debate over Internet security

There is always much debate over Internet security and how surfing the net can be made safe. In in the media this week the conversation takes a controversial turn which raises the question: is monitoring and filtering going too far?

Without question Internet security is an important topic, and the risk of your business being attacked by hackers and cybercriminals a topic that we have often talked about.   It is essential to ensure that your computer is not under the threat of attack when you simply go online.

And this is an important message for both adults and children; you’ve heard that education on Internet safety starts at work, teaching our current workforce so that they can go home to teach the workforce of tomorrow.

A lot of parents simply don’t realise how dangerous the internet can be or don’t know what their children are doing online.  However, in same the way that parents advise their children of the dangers of drink and drugs we believe it is their responsibility to protect them and warn them of the hazards of the internet.

This is where learning in the workplace is useful by adopting a ‘best practice’ approach with the internet. This can include ensuring that a filter is in place to block particular sites as well as making sure that you have correct control over it.

The plot twist in recent media is that Internet providers are taking steps towards playing their part in protecting children from content such as pornography when they use the Internet.

Broadband provider Sky has joined TalkTalk by introducing optional family-friendly filters to block unwanted Internet content.  There is talk that they will soon be followed by BT and Virgin.

The Government, however, wants internet service providers to go a step further by filtering legal pornography and other adult subjects “by default”.

Offering a family-friendly filter is a positive thing and could certainly be a good tool for parents struggling to protect their children from accessing the wrong websites.

However, could these filters have negative implications, especially in relation to privacy. If providers are blocking content that suggests they are monitoring content in order to effectively manage the filtering.

That raises questions such as: What is happening with that information, who controls and has access to it?  Do we have a privacy issue about to explode and do we need to be talking to businesses about measures to beat the filtering?

We will certainly be watching the developments with interest to see what path internet security will take.