NTRODUCTIONThe Internet has become a fully integrated part of our society, affecting many aspects of our professional and personal lives. The Internet is incredibly popular because it not only allows us to quickly access information from sources around the world, but also to transfer information quickly and easily. Businesses quickly realized the benefits the Internet would bring them. Soon after phrases like "Web" and "Surfing the Web" began to circulate, computers with Internet capabilities became as common as pencils and post-it notes on employee desks. The positive affects the merit of the Internet, but also leaves room for the negative effects of the Internet. Accessing the Internet from an employee's computer allows that employee to spend time viewing content from non-work related sites. This is essentially the problem with Internet abuse: spending paid work time on non-work related activities. The problems of Internet abuse have become as innumerable as the means to solve them; Only recently have companies started to address and recognize these issues. We will first try to understand who is affected by the problem of Internet abuse; Then, by looking at the statistics and examples surrounding Internet abuse, we can begin to understand the scale and consequences of this problem. Finally, we will also see what companies and their employees are doing. WHO IS INVOLVED? Those affected by the problem of Internet abuse are businesses, employees and consumers. According to Network Magazine1, businesses lose $54 billion a year to Internet abuse. This is money that companies must make one way or another, by raising prices, lowering wages, or using other cost-cutting methods. Compani...... middle of paper ......protects businesses and their employees from those who would abuse the Internet. Things like standards and guidelines can also be used to ensure that the Internet is used correctly. What can businesses do to help prevent these problems? They can use guidelines and policies to ensure that managers and employees understand what is expected of them. What can managers do? They can ensure that their employees understand the guidelines and policies their company has in place. What can employees do? They can strive to meet standards and guidelines and work with the understanding that they are always being monitored. This will make internet monitoring software useless. One thing is certain; The Internet isn't going anywhere. For this reason, businesses, management and other employees must ensure that the Internet is used productively and appropriately..