Based on interviews with executives from Fortune 500 firms, Delta Consulting’s report found that companies are not hesitating to act on what they find.
For example, more than half of the companies have dealt with at least one incident related to viewing of adult websites in the workplace, and offenders were fired in 44 percent of those cases.
Executives said they have been quick to respond to the issue because they fear the risks involved in allowing employees to look at adult sites on company computers, from downloads of malicious software to legal risks.
Routine display of explicit material is now one of the most frequently cited complaints in sexual harassment lawsuits, and computer caches are often the first place prosecuting attorneys look for evidence.
For the study, which was co-sponsored by monitoring software company PixAlert, Delta Consulting spoke with human resources, attorneys and IT managers in various industries, including manufacturing, retail, health care, banking, financial services and telecommunications.