(IDG) -- A recent survey of Internet use in corporations has quantified a situation everyone knows exists: Workers use the Internet for more than business research and job-related activities. In fact, the results of a study compiled by Elron Software, Inc. in Cambridge, Mass., found that not merely inappropriate sites Web sites are being accessed by more than 60% of employees during work hours. They're also visiting sexually explicit online areas.

The survey was compiled from network usage data from more than 100 organizations, ranging in size from 50 to 15,000 users, across the U.S. The companies responded to a direct mailing by network management software maker Elron Software and then carefully monitored usage for a period of at least three days. Elron then compiled the firms' data.

Although the figure seems high, Elron's product marketing manager Kelly Haggerty, said it's an improvement over a similar survey conducted last year. At that time, 72% of reporting companies found that their employees were visiting inappropriate sites in the Web.

"There is more awareness of the problem," Haggerty said, "and now most companies have adopted a policy for appropriate usage." In last year's survey, only 45% of survey participants had a usage policy; this year, 92% have such a policy in place.

MORE COMPUTING INTELLIGENCE

IDG.net home page

Computerworld's home page

Computerworld "Emmerce"

Industry Standard daily Media Grok

Reviews & in-depth info at IDG.net

IDG.net's personal news page

Questions about computers? Let IDG.net's editors help you

Search IDG.net in 12 languages

News Radio

PC World News Radio

Computerworld Minute audio news for managers

PC World News Radio

Stephen Elliot, a senior analyst at In-Stat Group, a Newton, Mass.-based consultancy, said the survey results aren't all that shocking because Web surfing is so easy to do and people think they can get away with it.

Elliot was surprised by the 27% of organizations that said they were taking action against employees for inappropriate usage. "I knew companies were interested in taking action, but I'm surprised at such a high number. It shows that companies are taking action to limit their risks and to optimize employee and network resources."

Rick DiSalvatore, the manager of network services at Stride Rite Corp. in Lexington, Mass., said his company participated in the survey to see what kind of usage problems it might uncover. DiSalvatore said the company found only one employee using his connection outside of company guidelines "so we quietly blocked the sites being accessed. It was simple."