The U.S. Department of Justice has been using Cyfin Reporter Internet monitoring software since June 2002 to monitor Web access for their 100,000 users. They recently renewed their product license with Wavecrest Computing once again for the sixth year.
Before initially purchasing Cyfin Reporter in 2002, the DOJ conducted rigorous testing to ensure the product’s scalability, accuracy, and reliability. Cyfin Reporter proved it could easily handle the DOJ’s workload and continues to do so today while providing them with accurate Web-use reports. The fact that the Department of Justice has renewed their Cyfin Reporter software license for the last six years is a testament to the product’s accuracy and reliability.
Wavecrest Computing’s accurate Web-use reports are what distinguish their Internet monitoring and filtering software from the competition. Wavecrest Computing ensures accuracy in reports by differentiating between a user’s specific click actions from automatically downloaded hits (banners, ads, audio, etc.) that can distort measurements of users’ online activity.
Wavecrest’s reports also focus closely on the number of clicks instead of attempting to gauge the amount of time a user actually spent on a Web page. The latter can be very misleading, i.e., the fact that a user downloaded a Web page to a browser doesn't necessarily mean that he or she was actually looking at that page while it was "open." The user could have easily been interrupted or left their browser open while attending a meeting. This makes accurate “time on site” measurements virtually impossible.
“When using employee Web-use reports to make important decisions regarding personnel and Internet policy, organizations want to know that they are using an Internet monitoring solution that provides reliable data in its reports,” states Dennis McCabe, VP of Business Development. “Through accurate reporting, our products help organizations effectively implement and enforce Internet policies, improve workforce productivity and limit potential legal exposure from inappropriate Internet use.”
For 11 years, Wavecrest Computing has been providing Internet filtering and monitoring solutions to business, government, and educational organizations worldwide. Wavecrest's customer base includes well-known names such as the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center, Procter and Gamble, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, Miller Brewing Company, London Stock Exchange, Mazda, Bayer, Pepsi Cola, IBM and many others. For government agencies, Wavecrest software can be purchased through GSA as the company is a GSA Federal Supply Schedule Contractor (#GS35F0212L).
Wavecrest Computing is offering special pricing to SurfControl customers interested in purchasing a Wavecrest product. SurfControl customers can find out about this special offer by contacting Wavecrest’s sales team.
Wavecrest Computing is offering special pricing for SurfControl customers that are nearing the end of their product license and looking for a new Web filtering solution. SurfControl was recently purchased by Websense, who just announced that it was going to stop supporting SurfControl products in the near future. This means that all SurfControl customers will have to either switch to a Websense product or begin looking for another Web filtering solution.
Dennis McCabe, VP of Business Development at Wavecrest Computing, stated that “Wavecrest understands that it is not always easy researching and looking for a new Web filtering product. That is why we are offering to help SurfControl customers easily transition to a Wavecrest product by offering competitive pricing and free technical support.” In addition, Wavecrest offers a free 30-day trial on all of its software products; this allows prospects to fully evaluate the product before buying.
Wavecrest’s Web filtering solutions include CyBlock ISA and CyBlock Proxy. CyBlock ISA was built specifically for networks that utilize one or more ISA Servers. CyBlock Proxy, on the other hand, is a combination Web filter that is ideal for any network. Both products can block over 500 million Web pages that are built into Wavecrest’s 81 content categories, and both are customizable to easily fit any organization’s Web-use policy. Highly affordable, both products feature reliable, easy-to-read reports and automatic abuse detection.
Wavecrest Computing has been providing Internet monitoring and filtering solutions to business, government, and educational organizations worldwide since 1996. Their monitoring, filtering and reporting solutions--known for their accuracy, usability, scalability and cost-effectiveness--are found in more than 3,500 commercial and government organizations of all types and sizes. Wavecrest's customer base includes well-known names such as Procter and Gamble, U.S. Department of Justice, Department of Defense Cyber Crime Unit, BMW, Bayer, Pepsi Cola, London Stock Exchange, Miller Brewing Company, IBM and many others.
SurfControl customers interested in Wavecrest products should contact the Wavecrest sales team by sending an email to sales@wavecrest.net or calling 877-442-9346 toll-free (U.S. and Canada only). If you are outside the U.S. or Canada, you can call Wavecrest directly at 001-321-953-5351, ext. 3.
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway has chosen to use Wavecrest's Cyfin Reporter as its Internet monitoring and reporting software for six years now. Wavecrest Computing offers Internet monitoring, reporting and filtering software solutions to a variety of organizations worldwide.
For six years now, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) has been using Wavecrest Computing's Cyfin Reporter Web-use management software to report on Web use for 25,000 employees. When BNSF began looking for a reporting solution, they wanted a product that was reliable, accurate, and easy to use. Cyfin Reporter fulfilled all of these requirements and continues to do so today.
When BNSF decided to search for a reporting tool, they were already using Web filtering software, but they were not getting the reporting results they needed on employees' Web use. BNSF's management, HR, IT, and corporate audit personnel found that Cyfin Reporter's comprehensive reports had the customizable features they wanted and the accurate results they needed.
BNSF recently collaborated with Wavecrest Computing in a case study that shows how they have used Cyfin Reporter throughout the years as part of their Web-use management program. In the case study, BNSF personnel indicated that one of the most important features of Cyfin is its ability to distinguish between "visits" (page views) and "hits" (all downloaded elements on a page). They stated that "counting true visits is the most accurate way of gauging actual levels of users' online activity, and focusing on total hits can be very misleading." In Cyfin's reports, a visit is only recorded when a user actually clicks on a Web page, while hits include all ads, banners, audio, and other miscellaneous elements associated with that page.
Today, BNSF continues to use Cyfin's reports to help them resolve Web-use management issues in the workplace. The type of reporting results that BNSF personnel find to be the most important are indications of excessive personal surfing to areas that threaten productivity and visits to inappropriate sites, such as pornography. This information helps them ensure that their employees are taking full advantage of the productive potential of the Internet.
With Cyfin Reporter's help, BNSF has "significantly reduced personal surfing in the workplace, helped prevent situations that could lead to legal liability, produced credible information to substantiate disciplinary actions, and helped increase workforce productivity." Read more in the case study about how BNSF has benefited from Cyfin Reporter over the years at http://www.wavecrest.net/editorial/include/BNSF.pdf
Cyfin Reporter is a product of Wavecrest Computing, a ten-year veteran in the field of employee Web-use management. The company's monitoring, blocking and reporting solutions--known for their accuracy, usability, scalability and cost-effectiveness--are found in more than 3,000 commercial and government organizations of all types and sizes. Wavecrest's customer base includes well-known names such as Procter and Gamble, U.S. Department of Justice, Honda, Bayer, Pepsi Cola, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Xerox, IBM and many others.
The U.S. Department of Justice has chosen to use Wavecrest's Cyfin Reporter as its Internet monitoring and reporting software for the fifth consecutive year. Wavecrest Computing offers Internet monitoring and filtering software solutions and is a GSA Federal Supply Schedule Contractor.
For the fifth year in a row, the U.S. Department of Justice has chosen Wavecrest's Cyfin Reporter to monitor Web use for its 100,000 users. The Department of Justice first purchased Cyfin in 2002 through Wavecrest's GSA (General Services Administration) program and continues to use Cyfin because of its robust performance, accuracy, and scalability.
Recently, government agencies have been concerned with how their employees are surfing the Internet at work for personal use. According to Al Kamen's "At Interior, Surfin' USA" published in the Washington Post on October 4, 2006, the Department of Interior found that its employees' personal Internet use could be costing taxpayers "more than $2 million in lost wages" each year. Earl E. Devaney, the Interior Department's Inspector General, also found that in one week of logs, there were over 4,732 entries to sexually explicit and gambling sites."
It is this type of abuse that is convincing many organizations to purchase Internet monitoring and/or filtering software to protect themselves from decreases in workforce productivity and legal liability risks. "It is the risk of legal liability that makes choosing accurate, reliable software important," says Dennis McCabe, Wavecrest's vice president for business development. "No one knows this better than the U.S. Department of Justice, which is why we are pleased that they continue to use Cyfin."
Cyfin Reporter provides employers with actionable, manager-ready reports by user, group, or entire enterprise. Cyfin's features include automatic abuse detection, a report scheduler that runs and distributes reports automatically, and standard and customizable categories that can be rated according to an organization's acceptable use policy.
Wavecrest is a GSA Federal Supply Schedule Contractor (#GS35F0212L). Federal and many state government agencies may purchase Wavecrest software through the GSA, guaranteeing the lowest available pricing and streamlining the procurement process.
The Unlawful Internet Gambling Act was signed by the President making it illegal for banks and credit unions to process bets made online. The new federal law will force businesses to revisit their Web-use policies for online gambling. Use of these sites at work is clearly a legal liability threat and businesses should reduce their risks by using Internet monitoring or filtering software.
On Friday, October 13, 2006, President Bush signed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Act making it illegal for banks and credit unions to process bets made online. Online gambling has grown to be a multi-billion dollar industry over the past several years, and the laws are finally catching up to the technology.
The U.S. Department of Justice has held the view that online gambling is illegal under the Federal Wire Act of 1961 and has attempted to go after several gaming executives. The DOJ indicted BetonSports founder, Gary Kaplan and its CEO, David Carruthers, on charges of racketeering, conspiracy, and fraud for taking sports bets from U.S. residents. They arrested David Carruthers at a U.S. airport earlier this year.
This new federal law forces all businesses to view employees’ visits to online gambling sites as a legal liability threat. Many companies may have seen little harm in allowing employees to access Web-based gambling sites on their break as long as it didn’t become a productivity drain. Others, however, have already been viewing such activity as legal liability risks and use Internet monitoring or filtering software to enforce policy and protect the company. No matter how companies viewed it in the past, it is now clearly a legal liability threat.
In addition to the new federal law, employers need to be aware of their local state laws on Internet gambling as well. For example, all forms of gambling are illegal in Hawaii and Utah. In 1998, Cynthia Haines gambled away $70,000 on the Internet at online gambling sites. When she couldn’t pay her credit card bills, her bank, Providian National Bank, sued her. She then filed a counterclaim against Providian and her credit card companies, Visa and MasterCard, claiming that they should have never accepted the charges because online gambling is illegal in California. Visa and MasterCard ended up settling with Haines.
According to Mark Ishman’s article, “Computer Crimes and the Respondent Superior Doctrine: Employers Beware,” if Haines had gambled away her money using her employer’s computer, the state of California could have prosecuted her employer for making online gambling available to her.
It is not uncommon for employees to visit online gambling sites at work. According to a June 2006 analysis of employee Web use at work by comScore Media Matrix, more than half of the page views by workers were to online gambling sites.
Online gambling is just one of a number of reasons why businesses and other organizations should use accurate Internet monitoring or filtering software to protect themselves from legal liability threats. According to Dennis McCabe, vice president of business development for Wavecrest Computing, “it is extremely important for companies to use an accurate, reliable product when monitoring Web use.” Wavecrest’s Cyfin and CyBlock products are just that. Wavecrest’s Cyfin Reporter has been trusted by the U.S. Department of Justice for the last four years, and they recently renewed their license for a fifth year.
Spyware and malicious code are big threats to company networks because they can consume bandwidth and compromise security. Recent studies show that company networks are being infected with spyware and malicious code more often through employees surfing the Web. These increasing threats make it imperative for companies to enforce a Web usage policy to protect their networks. Wavecrest Computing suggests that companies monitor and/or filter employee Web use in order to better protect themselves from security threats.
Recent studies have shown that employees surfing the Internet at work put company networks at a higher security risk. According to CNET News, a recent IDC Denmark study found that surfing the Internet poses a bigger risk to companies than email attachments. IDC found that “up to 30% of companies with more than 500 staff have been infected as a result of Internet surfing.”
Symantec recently released their security report on September 25 and found that nearly half of all computer attacks are targeting Web browsers. Because it has been more difficult to get users to open email attachments, hackers are attaching spyware and malicious code to Web sites, so when a user visits the infected site, the spyware or malicious code is automatically downloaded. The spyware can also be attached to Web sites in a banner/ad, link or file.
Sites that are at the most risk are those that enable information to pass between users quickly, e.g., social networking sites and blogs. These sites continue to see an increase in visitors. According to recent studies by comScore Media Metrix, the percentage of visitors to MySpace from the UK increased 467% from July 2005 to July 2006. In July 2006, the average visitor went to the site an average of 5.4 usage days. In the same month, in the US, the average visitor went to MySpace an average of 8.7 days.
To help its customers manage this issue, Wavecrest Computing, a leader in Internet filtering and monitoring software, recently added Social Networking to its category list. Dennis McCabe, vice president of business development at Wavecrest, stated that “We saw a pressing need for a social networking category because of the tremendous increase in traffic to these sites.” He continued by saying that “This is one example of how Wavecrest continually works to meet the needs of its customers as technology advances.”
Per Anderson, IDC Denmark’s Managing Director, stated that “the risk of infection is about five times greater for companies that allow Internet usage by staff to go unhindered and unmonitored.” To reduce the risk of infection, companies need to protect themselves with accurate Web-use management software.
Filtering and/or monitoring employees’ Internet access with one of Wavecrest’s Cyfin or CyBlock software products greatly reduces the risk of security threats and legal liability while helping to increase workforce productivity. In addition to offering Web-use management software, Wavecrest encourages companies to create a Web usage policy and clearly communicate it to their employees.
Blogging began as personal online diaries and has now evolved into all-encompassing social networking sites. Such sites, which combine and take maximum advantage of chat and multi-media technology as well as blogging concepts, now constitute a virtual—and exploding— online revolution. The downside? They create major time wasters for employers whose employees can't resist the allure of just one more entry. As a result, filtering and monitoring social networking activity is now imperative—not just to conserve bandwidth and increase workforce productivity but to protect companies’ reputations and intellectual property. Addressing this issue, Wavecrest Computing strongly recommends that social networking be addressed in employee conduct initiatives, including network usage policies and related monitoring programs.
Wavecrest Computing in Melbourne, Florida, recognizing the ever increasing popularity of MySpace and other social networking sites – Friendster, Flickr, TagWorld and Facebook to name a few – created a “Social Networking” category in their URL database to better identify and highlight these frequented work distractions for their customers.
Underscoring the scope of the social networking phenomenon, Google named MySpace the top gainer for places to visit on the Internet in ’05, only two years after it was founded. It recently topped Yahoo Mail as the most-visited Web site in the U.S. What started as a site for aspiring musicians and bands to share their music and concert locations quickly became the number one spot to connect with others for everything from making new friends, to dating, to professional networking.
If record label companies view MySpace as an indispensable stop for record labels seeking to promote a new band, companies that wish to increase their workforce productivity and better utilize their bandwidth should recognize the need to manage access to Social Networking sites
Many think social networking sites are just a place for teens to hang out. Not true. A larger, growing number of adults frequent MySpace because it is an easy, quick way to keep in touch with current friends and family, find old friends and classmates, and listen to new music on a daily basis.
With 80 million registered users worldwide and the world’s 73rd most-visited website, many of these visits obviously occur during business hours. Today, an estimated 130,000 new members join the site every day, totaling 3 million new members per month. The recent Nine Inch Nails release alone resulted in a half-million user streams in one week. And judging by the above statistics, a very large portion of these streams had to have occurred at work – a lot, all day long.
Negative banter about companies on MySpace produces postings from employees who slam not only managers and co-workers, but customers. To preclude such negative publicity, Wavecrest encourages companies to clearly define social networking in their employee conduct code as it relates to their company to protect themselves and their intellectual property.
A continual increase in traffic to social networking sites mandated a separate category in Wavecrest’s URL control list. “These heavily trafficked sites have fast become a major productivity drainer for our customers,” said Dennis McCabe of Wavecrest Computing. “Pretty much anyone, any age range, who frequents social networking sites does so from work—unless access is restricted. And the first step to restricting access is identification through proper categorization.”
Wavecrest was the first in the industry to provide categorized web reports; the first to provide reporting based on visits versus all hits; and the only company to provide automatic abuse threshold reporting.
Wavecrest Computing in Melbourne, Florida answered the need to monitor and report on employee Internet activity 10 years ago. Pioneers in the field, Wavecrest is now a global industry leader.
A privately owned company specializing in employee Web use analysis and reporting, Wavecrest was the first in the industry to provide categorized web reports. It was also the first to provide reporting based on true visits versus all hits and is the only company to provide automatic abuse threshold reporting. Noted for the industry’s top rated, most accurate web activity reporting, Wavecrest products let clients customize reports to meet specific needs. That customization and uncomplicated reporting sets Wavecrest apart from all the others. The company’s fundamental purpose is to provide reports that relate to people using the Internet, thus enabling management, HR, IT and information security personnel to translate critical Web-use information into business intelligence. Other companies provide more IT oriented reports.
The Wavecrest product line addresses the needs of any size organization. Cyfin Reporter logfile analyzer was the most affordable, accurate, powerful reporter in the industry at the start ten years ago and still is today. It is compatible with many different firewalls, proxy servers and caching appliances on the market, and it is scalable to 100,000+ users. Recognizing the need to filter and block as well as report, Wavecrest developed CyBlock several years ago. The CyBlock Proxy version meets the concerns of small to mid-size organizations and has real-time capability that displays User ID, Visit Category and URL.
“To meet the needs of our customers as technology advances, a number of enhancements to current products will be announced shortly,” said Dennis McCabe, vice president at Wavecrest Computing. “We are also developing two new products that will be introduced next year.”
Wavecrest has enjoyed steady growth. Not only did the company survive the dot-com bubble collapse, it prospered and continues to enjoy a 97% renewal rate. Wavecrest plans to grow by satisfying the ongoing and evolving needs for effective, efficient and affordable employee Web-use management tools.
Wavecrest Computing released new versions of its employee Web-use management software products today. Wavecrest’s Web-use management products generate the industry’s most accurate measurements of employees’ access to Web pages.
Wavecrest Computing released new versions of its employee Web-use management software products today. Wavecrest’s Web-use management products generate the industry’s most accurate measurements of employees’ access to Web pages. Wavecrest products are the only tools on the market that distinguish employees’ deliberate Web-page visits and download actions from automatically-generated ancillary data items. (Ancillary items, such as graphics, ads and inline frames, typically accompany each visit. They are used by browsers to compose Web pages in real time.)
For employee Web usage reports to be accurate it is absolutely critical to distinguish between human and automatic (Web-related) actions. As we all know, degraded information leads to degraded decisions. And in the case of Web-use management, the decisions can – and often do – relate to sensitive and important personnel actions, legal matters, productivity levels, bandwidth consumption and other critical issues.
Wavecrest Computing has emphasized the human aspects of Web-use management for more than nine years. And throughout that period, accuracy of reported data has been a top priority.
Additional features available in the new release are: expanded categorization list, new report-generation process, multiple log file support and efficient update process.
"The new releases offer significant advantages in accuracy and speed for any size organization, from small offices with a cable modems to complex corporate networks.” says Dennis McCabe, Wavecrest's vice president of business development
Wavecrest's software is priced on a tiered, per-user basis making it the industry's best value in Web-use management software. Upgrades are available at no cost to current Wavecrest customers. For data sheets or additional information, visit http://www.wavecrest.net.
Wavecrest's CyBlock® SA and Cyfin® SA fill gap in Internet access control market
Small- to mid-sized businesses now have access to the same employee Internet monitoring software used by the U.S. Department of Justice and Procter & Gamble. Wavecrest Computing introduces CyBlock SA and Cyfin SA, small business editions of the company's enterprise Web filtering and reporting solutions.
Priced for networks with fewer than 500 users, the SA products feature enterprise-level Internet access control and Internet usage reporting options in an affordable software download that's easy to install and administer.
Managing Internet access in small- to mid-size organizations
"When it comes to employee Internet abuse, a small- to mid-size business has the same concerns as a global enterprise, but different requirements for usability and cost," says Dennis McCabe, vice president of business development for Wavecrest Computing. "They have the same concerns about legal liability, spyware, productivity losses and network slowdowns -- and the same need to monitor Internet usage effectively -- but they're working with more basic network systems and significantly less IT support."
CyBlock SA and Cyfin SA offer the same functionality as Wavecrest's enterprise solutions, but are tailored to the different needs of small- to mid-size network users: installation is simple (no IT expertise required) and the stand-alone design accommodates even the most basic DSL or cable Internet connection.
Both products feature management support capabilities like customizable policy support settings, categorized user activity reporting (by individual, group or enterprise), and Web-based reporting tools for authorized managers and administrators.
Advantages of CyBlock SA and Cyfin SA
* Filter and report on users by login name -- LDAP and Microsoft AD compatible
* Block and report on up to 72 categories of sites
* Customize filter and report settings to support acceptable use policies
* Install easily in most any network environment
* Automate routine tasks like running and sending reports
A 30-day evaluation of CyBlock SA Internet filtering and monitoring software is available online at http://www.wavecrest.net/products/cyblock/sa/freetrial.html
For users who need to monitor Internet usage -- not filter access -- an evaluation of Cyfin SA is available at http://www.wavecrest.net/products/cyfin/sa/freetrial.html.
When the network administrator of one U.S. company ran a routine Web activity report on the firm’s 250-plus users, he noticed employees logging thousands of hits a day to the same IP address – a Web site with no connection to the company’s business.
A closer look found the trouble wasn’t cyberslacking employees – it was spyware, software that tracks Web surfers’ activity without their knowledge and sends the information back to a third party Web site automatically. Spyware can compromise security, consume bandwidth and slow networks to a crawl.
Spyware is a growing concern for network administrators mainly because it’s so easy to get. Most casual at-work surfers never realize that simply by clicking on a Web site or downloading a free screensaver they could also be installing spyware on their office computer.
Software programs are available that sniff out spyware once it’s been installed, but according to Dennis McCabe, vice president of business development at Wavecrest Computing, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
“There’s no such thing as safe surfing anymore,” McCabe warns. “It’s important to protect your network against spyware before it becomes a problem. The best way to do that is by monitoring user Web activity in the workplace and if possible, blocking access to high-risk spyware sites, especially those offering free games or utilities.”
Wavecrest’s Cyfin monitoring software helped the company above spot unusual activity on their network early and address the problem before it got worse. Wavecrest’s CyBlock filtering software goes even further by actually preventing users from accessing risky Web sites in the first place.
McCabe points out that while spyware is a front-page news today, unchecked surfing poses other serious risks as well.
“Misuse of the Internet can be very costly,” McCabe says. “Companies can face lawsuits if employees access pornography in the workplace or download copyrighted material illegally on corporate networks. And then there’s lost productivity – another significant drain on corporate resources.”
For more information on Internet monitoring and filtering in the workplace, or to learn more about Wavecrest’s software solutions for small business and large enterprise, visit www.wavecrest.net.
Wavecrest's New Cyfin and CyBlock Have What IT Admins and Small Businesss Users Have Been Looking For in Web-use Management.
Wavecrest Computing announces the release of new versions of its Cyfin and CyBlock Web-use management software products. These releases feature an IT administrator's wish-list of options along with new stand-alone product editions that make enterprise-level employee Internet filtering and monitoring accessible to small business networks.
New Features
Cyfin 6.0 monitoring software and CyBlock 4.0 filtering software now include an XML database for faster report creation; smart, automated product administration; and flexible configuration options that guarantee high performance in any network environment.
With XML, Cyfin and CyBlock's reporting feature -- already the industry's most accurate -- is faster and more robust than any competing solution. User activity reports that once took hours to generate now take seconds -- even when running categorized URL reports on logfile data from over 100,000 users.
Cyfin and CyBlock's time-saving administrative tools monitor the product's internal processes and manage many routine functions automatically, giving IT administrators freedom to focus on mission-critical network operations. New administrative features include:
- Logfile Manager. Updates and displays the time stamp and status of currently configured log files automatically, for easy set-up and troubleshooting.
- Job Queue. Allows administrators to schedule and monitor the progress of routine tasks like URL list updates, report creation and distribution.
- Groups and IDs Import. Automatically imports groups and IDs from Microsoft AD or any LDAP-compliant directory server.
Product Editions
Cyfin and CyBlock are now available in four editions. For Internet monitoring and reporting, Wavecrest offers Cyfin Reporter logfile analyzer and Cyfin SA, a stand-alone monitoring software. For filtering and monitoring, customers can choose CyBlock ISA Web filter or CyBlock SA stand-alone filtering software. The SA editions integrate easily in any network environment even those without a proxy, firewall or caching appliance.
"Wavecrest is making enterprise-level Web-use management accessible to any size organization, from smaller offices with a cable modem to complex corporate networks," says Dennis McCabe, Wavecrest's vice president of business development. "The new releases offer big advantages in speed and performance for both small business users and enterprise clients."
All editions have Wavecrest's familiar manager-friendly features, including categorized user-activity reports -- still the industry's most accurate -- and a Reports-Only browser interface that allows authorized managers outside IT to run ad-hoc or scheduled reports on their personnel as needed.
Wavecrest's software is priced on a tiered, per-user basis making it the industry's best value in Web-use mangement software. Upgrades are available at no cost to current Wavecrest customers. For data sheets or additional information, visit www.wavecrest.net.
Two recent surveys of holiday shoppers herald glad tidings for online retailers - but may set off alarm bells for corporate managers. According to separate surveys conducted by Jupiter Research and Deloitte, online holiday shopping this season is expected to increase by 18% over last year, with a third of shoppers admitting they plan to do their gift-buying while at work.
The Jupiter Research study reports retailers expect online holiday shoppers to boost Internet sales to $17 billion this year - a 21% jump over 2002. What's more, 40% of the Web users Jupiter surveyed say they plan to do "some or all" of their holiday shopping online.
Where are these holiday shoppers doing most of their browsing? At work. Results of Deloitte's 18th annual Holiday Survey revealed more than a third of online shoppers plan to do their holiday gift shopping from the office.
How do businesses manage employee Web use during the holidays?
"At-work Web-use typically spikes during the holidays," says Dennis McCabe, vice president of business development for Wavecrest Computing, a Melbourne, Fla.-based Internet monitoring software company. "The businesses that manage Web use well let their employees know what their policy is on personal Web use at work, so everyone knows what is and is not considered acceptable online activity."
McCabe says a clear acceptable use policy allows employers to be flexible without costing their business hours of lost productivity due to employee abuse of online privileges.
McCabe adds, "If you have a clear policy and a good monitoring tool in place, you can manage employee Web use during the holidays without turning into a Grinch."
For the second year, the U.S. Department of Justice has selected Wavecrest Computing’s Cyfin Reporter Internet monitoring software to help manage employee Web use for its 100,000 users. The DOJ first purchased Cyfin software in 2002 through Wavecrest’s GSA (General Services Administration) program for government agencies.
Like the DOJ, more and more federal, state and local government agencies are installing Web monitoring software to help prevent employee misuse of the Internet from exposing them to charges of waste, fraud and abuse. Cyfin Reporter software monitors employee Internet activity, automatically tracking compliance with an organization’s acceptable use policy and creating clear, categorized reports on Web use by user, group or entire enterprise.
"The DOJ set rigorous standards for accuracy, performance and scalability in an Internet monitoring software product,” said Dennis McCabe, Wavecrest’s vice president for business development. “We're very pleased they have implemented Cyfin so successfully.”
Wavecrest Computing's Internet monitoring software is currently installed in over 2,500 businesses and government organizations worldwide and on every continent — except Antarctica. Cyfin is available in 11 different languages.
Wavecrest is a GSA Federal Supply Schedule Contractor (#GS35F0212L). Federal and many state government agencies may purchase Wavecrest software through the GSA, guaranteeing the lowest available pricing and streamlining the procurement process.
Alliance Helps Clients Monitor Web Access, Maximizing Workforce Productivity
Genesys Software Systems, Inc., a provider of software and outsourcing services for human resource (HR) management, payroll, benefits, and learning management, today announced a referral partnership with Wavecrest, a developer of Web access management products. Through this partnership, Genesys customers will have access to products that monitor and report on the use of Web resources by employee workforces.
Wavecrest software helps organizations maximize workforce productivity, reduce bandwidth costs, conserve network resources, and minimize non-productive Web surfing. Its products also give HR and IT management the ability to effectively implement and enforce consistent access policies and thereby limit potential legal exposure from inappropriate Internet use. Wavecrest software can be easily tailored according to unique corporate policies and can scale to 100,000 users.
"Wavecrest's products have been developed with the clear understanding that people surf the Web, not computers," said Dennis McCabe, vice president of business development for Wavecrest. "Genesys customers have long relied on Genesys to help them leverage the benefits of the Internet through innovative human capital management solutions. We are confident we can bring additional value to these organizations by providing accurate and meaningful information on the use of employers' Web resources."
"As companies increase their reliance on the Internet for a variety of business processes, the development and administration of effective Internet use policies is becoming increasingly important," said Judy Dukas, director of strategic business alliances for Genesys Software Systems. "Companies need to ensure that valuable infrastructure resources are being used for productive purposes. They also need to protect themselves from the legal liabilities that can result from inappropriate use of the Internet. Our alliance with Wavecrest can help our customers meet both of these needs."
The U.S. Department of Justice has chosen Wavecrest Computing's Cyfin Reporter product as its Web monitoring software to cover up to 100,000 users.
The U.S. Department of Justice has chosen Wavecrest Computing's Cyfin Reporter product as its Web monitoring software to cover up to 100,000 users.
Cyfin is used by many businesses and government agencies to monitor and report on how a workforce uses an organization's Web access resources. Known for its highly accurate and comprehensive results, Cyfin helps line managers, HR personnel and IT administrators maximize productivity in the workplace, reduce bandwidth costs, and minimize inappropriate and non-productive surfing.
Among other features, Cyfin enables organizations of all types and sizes to monitor Internet, intranet and extranet activity, see results in both standard and custom categories and detect abuse automatically. Cyfin can also schedule reports to run automatically, generate reports from remote consoles, automatically, download categorization list updates, disable non-essential categories, exclude VIPs from reports, and obtain "exception-only" reports. Scalable to 100,000 users, Cyfin is compatible with most popular operating systems, firewalls and proxy servers.
Dennis McCabe, Wavecrest's Vice President for Business Development stated, "We're very pleased to add the Department of Justice to our list of clients. We began emphasizing sales to the government sector early last year and now have clients in the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Defense department as well as -- now -- the Department of Justice. We also have a number of state and local government customers. Our goal is to provide their managers with easily accessible, accurate, actionable information to help them administer Internet Usage policies and increase their agencies' overall productivity."
Founded in 1996, Wavecrest develops, markets and supports employee Web access filtering and reporting software. Among their private sector clients are Procter and Gamble, Exxon, John Deere, GE, Blue Cross and many other domestic and overseas firms. Wavecrest has been a GSA (Government Services Administration) contractor since February 2001.