Cybersitter

Also Net Nanny, a Cybersitter is a piece of software, originally designed for parents concerned about their children's unrestricted access to the seamier side of the Internet, which can be used to block a users access to websites containing 'dangerous' or 'offensive' material.

Cybersitters are being used more widely, as companies realise that such material obtained by their staff and stored on a organisation computer could jeopardise system security as well as rendering the organisation liable to breaches of legislation, e.g. on defamation, data protection, the Official Secrets Act, morality, etc.

Conversely, to avoid the problems of civil/human rights breaches, constructive dismissal, labour tribunals, etc, companies need to exercise caution when dealing with staff found to be making 'inappropriate' use of Internet and E-mail facilities. The dice are loaded.