According to data collected by the cybersecurity company NordLayer, a significant portion of employers (72%) block malicious and adult websites. Malicious websites can pose severe security threats by spreading malware, while adult websites are often restricted due to concerns over inappropriate content and potential productivity loss. Gambling sites are blocked by 43% of employers, likely due to concerns over addiction and productivity loss.
Research shows that NordLayer’s Domain Name System (DNS) filtering feature, which blocks malicious websites and filters out sites that contain harmful and/or inappropriate content, is also used for blocking phishing, cryptojacking, illegal and DDoS as a Service (DaaS) websites.
“DNS filtering is a critical component of any organization’s cybersecurity strategy,” said Carlos Salas, a cybersecurity expert at NordLayer. “By blocking access to malicious and inappropriate websites, employers can significantly reduce the risk of malware infections and security breaches on their networks.”
Besides blocking adult websites, many managers go a step further to maintain a professional work environment. For example, 30% block dating sites, 28% do not allow access to sex education websites and about 12% of employers even block lingerie sites.
Information or sales related to drugs websites are blocked by 37% of IT managers. It’s interesting that 21% of employers block virtual private network (VPN) websites, likely to prevent employees from circumventing network restrictions and accessing blocked content, which could pose security risks or productivity concerns.
“To lower distractions from work and promote productivity, 19% of IT managers restrict access to gaming websites, because they can be time-consuming and embedded with ads and hyperlinks to other malicious websites. Additionally, celebrity news websites and social media are blocked by 8% and 7% of employers, respectively,” added Salas.
In the United States, employers tend to adopt a more lenient approach towards restricting employee internet access at work compared to global averages. While malicious websites pose significant security risks, only 62% of U.S. employers block them, which is lower than the global average of 72%.
Similarly, adult websites are restricted by 57% of IT managers in the U.S,. which is also lower than the global average. Gambling websites are disabled by 35% of American employers. When it comes to potential distractions, gaming websites are restricted in only 16% of U.S. employers’ workplaces.
Additionally, celebrity news websites are blocked by only 7% of American employers, aligning with the global average, while social media is inaccessible in just 5% of U.S. businesses.
Compared to their American counterparts, Canadian businesses are less restrictive on gambling websites, with only 28% having blocked access to online casinos. While Canadian employers are stricter on adult content (60%), they are less likely to block dating sites (20%, while in the U.S. it’s 24%), sex education sites (4%, U.S. 20%), and lingerie sites (4%, U.S. 14%).
