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Entropy urges firms to establish security policies
Friday, October 27 2000
by Elaine Larkin


Internet security company, Entropy warned on Friday that Irish companies without
a comprehensive security policy may face prosecution.

At a seminar entitled "Effective Internet Management" Conall Lavery, Managing
Director, Entropy urged Irish companies to introduce a comprehensive security
policy to ensure that they and their employees are protected from potential legal
action.



He said that because the use of Internet and e-mail is growing at a rapid pace
the environment where people are doing business is changing. Lavery insisted that
a strategic approach towards the management of security issues must be taken. He
noted that as 40 percent of people in the workplace use e-mail and the Internet
regularly it is impossible for employers to monitor all activity over the medium.




"A company, or an employee, can be liable for a sexual harassment case if
material that is transmitted over a company network is deemed to be
inappropriate.  This is regardless of whether or not the company is aware of
the transaction," Lavery said.



Richard Willis, e-commerce specialist with leading law firm Mason Hayes and
Curran told the seminar that there are a number of security and confidentiality
risks associated with transacting in the electronic world. 



"Although the majority of existing legislation was not designed with the
electronic world in mind it is constantly evolving in a greater effort to ensure
compliance in line with the development of electronic communication," said
Willis 



Willis added that the Electronic Commerce Act 2000 attempts to bring about the
fusion of existing legislation with doing business in Ireland.



The issue of legal rights for employees was also raised at the seminar. The
seminar was told that in dealing with these issues, employers have to be
cognisant of employees' legal rights particularly when it comes to monitoring
staff. 



IBEC has developed guidelines which companies can incorporate when developing
their security policies.