Unauthorized Internet Usage
Posted by: Jay Dugan
bandwidth, Cisco, Internet abuse, NetFlow, Palo Alto Networks, Solar Winds
Unauthorized usage of the Internet by employees is a very big problem for most organizations and they may not even realize it. According to a study by Palo Alto Networks, more than half of the application traffic on the 60 large organizations surveyed can bypass the traditional security infrastructure. Consequentially, more than half of the bandwidth at these organizations is being consumed by online shopping, social media, and peer to peer file sharing.
Blocking port 80 and 443 is not an option for most businesses as the Internet is a key business tool. However, it is essential to have a firm Internet usage policy in place stating what is and what is not allowed. Additionally, it is important to keep an eye on bandwidth usage and employee productivity. With Cisco NetFlow and a tool such as Orion NetFlow traffic analyzer from Solar Winds, organizations can compile employee bandwidth usage reports.
By correlating high bandwidth usage and low productivity, the abusers can be identified and weeded out.
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