It has become quite clear in recent years that the use of the internet has stopped being an alternative and has become essential within the corporate environment. Among businesses, regardless of sector or size, it is practically impossible to find a company that does not depend totally or partially on an internet connection to carry out its tasks. For this reason, website blocking is a strategy that is gaining more and more popularity among companies that want to use this resource more efficiently and intelligently.
In the period from 2019 to 2021 alone (boosted by the global Covid-19 pandemic), the number of companies in Brazil that started to offer their products and services through digital channels increased from 57% to 73% . The need to implement remote work also played a determining role in these results. These numbers demonstrate how, with each passing day, more and more businesses are dependent on the world wide web.
We know that the digital revolution has brought countless advantages to everyone, delivering tools that help in carrying out most of the tasks we routinely perform. However, just as this revolution brought advantages, it also came with problems that must be combated .
One of these problems is the loss of productivity. Improper access to the internet, especially when carried out in the workplace, results in major problems for the company , its data and its devices. Linked to this issue, we can also mention the cyber risks that are favored by improper access during working hours.
Just like other assets that are part of the company, stored data and information must be protected to avoid complications and penalties imposed by regulatory bodies. After the emergence of the LGPD, the concern with these factors became even greater , making it necessary for the company to adapt and stay up to date with all aspects related to digital security. Understand what changed with this legislation:
Due to all these problems, it is necessary to have a resource for blocking websites within your company. But how is it possible to guarantee the effectiveness of this tool and monitor the types of access that are carried out?
First of all, we need to understand what the risks are and what the main problems are that must be addressed when it comes to internet access. Continue reading to find out more!
How can the internet harm you?
As we saw previously, although indispensable, the internet is also one of the main gateways to the biggest problems that affect companies . This is because for a business to be successful, there needs to be constant investment in productivity, and the internet can be one of the main villains of a company's profitability.
Improper access during working hours can result in employees failing to perform essential tasks for their daily lives and for the company's interests. The Getúlio Vargas Foundation carries out an annual survey called the Productivity Observatory . In its latest report we can see that Brazil showed a considerable drop in several indicators that measure the country's productivity.
Following a decreasing trend, in 2022 Brazil showed a 4.5% reduction in productivity in relation to hours worked . Taking into account that Brazilian worker productivity is not among the best in the world, it is necessary to invest in resources and tools that help maintain focus on what is really important.
Considering all these factors, managers need to do everything in their power to help workers stay focused and contribute to delivering expected demand. Blocking websites in your company is a strategy that will help combat unauthorized access and ensure greater security for networks, devices and stored information.
In addition to having an Internet Access Policy that consolidates all the basic rules of behavior and conduct, it is also essential to block certain types of content, such as:
- Social networks : access to social networks during working hours is one of the main factors that undermine a worker's productivity. Taking into account that most people have at least one profile on a social network, this type of access is one of the first that should be controlled.
- E-mail : not blocking access to e-mail tools during working hours is one of the main mistakes made by managers. Although it seems like a harmless tool, email is one of the main channels used by Cybercriminals to carry out scams and steal information, as is the case with phishing .
- Pornographic and violent content: most managers do not even imagine that their employees access this type of content. But it is important to remember that, according to a survey carried out in 2022, 22 million people assume that they consume this type of content in the country , making this blockade a necessity.
- Entertainment and e-commerce website : we know that the possibility of making purchases through digital channels has made our routine much easier. However, this type of content can be a risk not only for productivity, but also for corporate security . This is because Cybercriminals create copies of famous websites to victimize users, making them provide confidential data and banking information unknowingly.
- Gaming platforms: although it is an excellent leisure option, gaming during work hours can greatly disrupt a company's routine and results. It is very important that workers are very focused on the activities that are carried out to avoid errors and reduce the need for rework.
- Video and streaming platforms: YouTube is one of the most accessed websites today and can deliver varied content to users. However, during working hours, this tool can cause a lot of problems. In addition to reducing employee focus, it can also encourage access to inappropriate content . The same goes for streaming platforms and film and series websites.
Website blocking is an efficient solution for companies that want to reduce problems caused by improper access. For this control to be carried out properly, it is necessary to have a complete tool that helps managers efficiently monitor everything that is accessed during working hours.
5 biggest risks of the digital environment
As we said, the internet is essential but it is also an environment full of traps and threats. Among the main problems that can be caused by access in this environment, we can mention:
Data leak
Information leakage within the company is a much bigger problem than it appears to be. In addition to exposing confidential data from customers, partners and suppliers, this type of leak can also cause penalties for the business and harm the company's image in the market.
The General Data Protection Law included in its content several penalties that can be applied to companies that do not establish the correct security protocol for stored actions. It is very important to adapt to what is established in legislation and have resources that help increase data security.
Malware
We can understand malware as any virus or harmful application whose objective is to cause some type of problem or inconvenience for its victim. Malware can be developed to steal information , cause malfunctions for devices, enable monitoring of activities carried out by typing, transform the device into a zombie computer that is used for larger-scale scams, among other problems.
This type of application can reach users in different ways, such as:
- Emails;
- Downloading corrupt or malicious attachments;
- Pop-ups on suspicious websites;
- Misleading publicity;
- And much more.
Phishing scam
Phishing is one of the oldest problems on the internet, but it continues to claim victims every day and in different ways. In this cyber scam, the Cybercriminal sends corrupted forms and attachments through fake emails. By clicking on these attachments or links, the user ends up favoring the installation of malicious applications or providing valuable data to these criminals.
Conventional antivirus and threat blocking tools were not developed to recognize an email of this type, making it necessary to use other measures to avoid this type of problem. For this reason, it is necessary to block access to email services to reduce the user's chances of suffering this type of scam.
Ransomware
Information hijacking is one of the most common practices among cybercriminals. With the help of encryption, hackers are able to make networks unavailable and hijack information, demanding the payment of a ransom amount to the victim.
In addition to representing a huge financial loss for the business, the ransomware attack also causes a lot of damage to the company's image, alienating customers and damaging its position in the market.
DDoS attack
Distributed denial of service attacks, or DDoS attacks, can victimize companies of any size or sector. Attacks of this type were carried out against government bodies and institutions causing major problems .
Simply put, during a DDoS attack, cybercriminals send a huge number of requests to their victim's page. Due to this excess of requests and access attempts, the service may become unavailable to legitimate users. This type of attack can cause major financial losses for the business, which can go from hours to days without access to its pages and services.
What is the best tool on the market?
There are several tools and resources on the market designed to block websites. These tools were created to facilitate internet access control and help companies and users protect themselves in the best way possible. See the main ones below:
pfSense
pfSense is a security tool that works like a Firewall. Its main objective is to bring more security and increase the efficiency of connections made. Due to its functionality, it can also be used to control access and block websites in your company , helping to increase the security of your devices and information.
However, although it has numerous features that help your business, Pf Sense is a complex tool that requires an adequate technical level before it can be used .
Open DNS
Open DNS is a unique tool that was developed by Cisco. It has two free versions: Family Shield and Home. In the Family Shield version, it can provide practicality for blocking inappropriate content , being more used for parental control.
Its Home version is aimed at protecting devices and improving connection performance. However, even its paid version is not a robust enough solution to meet companies' needs.
Lumiun Box
Lumion has tools developed to protect company devices and control internet access. Lumiun Lumiun Box is one of the best solutions available on the market, highly functional, intuitive and easy to use.
With the help of Lumiun Box , the company is able to block websites and carry out intelligent monitoring of activities carried out in the online environment, contributing to a more assertive and specific blocking of the internet within the company . By allowing payment in national currency, it can provide greater cost-benefit for companies, in addition to guaranteeing:
- Unified access control, without the need to carry out individual installation on each device;
- Blocking websites and resources according to usage pattern, users, groups and access times;
- Complete reports on everything that is carried out in the digital environment;
- Remote access control tool, for users working remotely or working outside the company's location.
Lumiun DNS
Lumiun Lumiun DNS was developed for companies looking for a more simplified solution, but with all the necessary features for efficient blocking. It allows you to block websites and resources for companies that have many connected devices, ensuring greater protection and security on the internet through unified control of your resources.
As it is a more simplified but equally efficient solution , Lumiun DNS presents a great cost-benefit for businesses that want to increase their protection but do not want to pay for expensive and complex tools on the market.
