Facebook voyeurism a part of workplace life – report

Facebook fans tend to lurk instead of play when they tune into the social network while at their jobs, according to a report released by computer security firm Palo Alto Networks.

While many workers link to Facebook on company computers, 88 per cent of the online traffic consists of people watching what friends are up to in the online community, the report found.

Use of social games such as FarmVille popular at Facebook accounted for only five per cent of the traffic, while a meagre 1.4 per cent was devoted to posting updates or comments at the social network.

“The risks that voyeurism represent include a potential loss of productivity and the possibility of malware introduction by clicking on a link within someone’s ‘wall’,” Palo Alto Networks said in the report.

“The small amount of (Facebook posts) should not minimise the risks in terms of what users are saying about work-related subjects such as current projects, travel plans and company status.”

Managers of company computer networks face growing challenges in dealing with risks posed by internet trends such as online communities or sharing music, game, photo or video files on peer-to-peer networks.

“IT teams are looking for ways to retain control within their organisation at a time when non-IT-supported projects are pervasive,” said René Bonvanie, Palo Alto Networks vice president of worldwide marketing.