Staff Computer and Internet Abuse Statistics

• 70% of all web traffic to Internet pornography sites occurs during the work hours of 9am-5pm.
• 58% of industrial espionage is perpetrated by current or former employees.
• 48% of large companies blame their worst security breaches on employees.
• 46% of the one thousand largest companies globally will be utilizing IM as a daily communications tool.
• 64% of employees say they use the Internet for personal interest during
  working hours
• 70% of all Internet porn traffic occurs during the nine-to-five work day.
• 37% of workers say they surf the Web constantly at work.
• 77.7% of major U.S. companies keep tabs on employees by checking their e-mail, Internet, phone calls, computer files, or by videotaping them at work.
• 63% of companies monitor workers' Internet connections and 47% store and review employee e-mail.
  27% of companies say that they've fired employees for misuse of office e-mail or Internet connections, and 65% report some disciplinary measure for those offenses.
• 90% of employees feel the Internet can be addictive, and 41 percent admit to personal surfing at work for more than three hours per week.
• 60% of Security Breaches occur within the Company - behind the Firewall
• 25% of corporate Internet traffic is considered to be "unrelated to
  work".
• 30-40% of lost productivity is accounted for by cyber-slacking.
• 32.6% of workers surf the net with no specific objective; men are twice
  as likely as women.
• 27% of Fortune 500 organizations have defended themselves against claims of sexual harassment stemming from inappropriate email.
• 90% of respondents (primarily large corporations and government agencies) detected computer security breaches within the previous 12 months, 80% acknowledged financial losses due to computer breaches, 44% were willing and/or able to quantify their losses, at more than $455 million.

The Bottom Line

Companies that do not conduct policy training or monitor internal messages can be putting themselves at risk. In 2003, oil company Chevron USA paid $2.2 million to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit over its email content.

Most studies show 70% of companies have had sex sites accessed using their network.

Some estimates reveal that computer crime may cost as much as $50 billion per year.

Around 80% of computer crime is committed by "insiders". They manage to steal $100 million by some estimates; $1 billion by others.

The average fraud inflicts a loss of about $110,000 per corporate/organization victim, and $15,000 to each individual victim.

Traditionally, employers have been responsible and liable for the actions of their employees in the workplace. However, if an organization can demonstrate a "duty of care" to reduce unacceptable employee activity, then it could minimize it's potential for liability.

Can you really afford not to monitor your office computers?