NewDelhi-25AprilI.doc:Going by the facts brought forth in a summary prepared by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)’s Inspector General H. David Kotz, dozens of SEC staff members reportedly made use of government computers for accessing and downloading pornographic images, over the last five-year period. 
On the basis of the investigation of 33 SEC employees – the agency boasts nearly 3,800 employees - and contractors for illegal computer usage, the Inspector General said that most of the incidents took place in the 2 1/2 years since the global economic downturn began.  
Specifically speaking, the summary, which was requested by Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), noted that while 3 incidents were reported this year; 10 took place last year; 16 in 2008; 2 in 2007; and 1 each in 2006 and 2005. 
Though the discovery of that federal agency or private entity employees surf the Internet for porn is not unprecedented; still the SEC revelations have stressed the need for federal agencies to block such activities. 
With the General Services Administration stating on Friday that all federal agencies are responsible for setting their specific Internet usage policies, SEC spokesman John Nester said that inappropriate Web sites are blocked by the SEC via Blue Coat Secure Web Gateway software and McAfee SmartFilter. 
Noting that the some workers apparently circumvented the blocking software, Nester added: “We will not tolerate the transgressions of the very few who bring discredit to their thousands of hardworking colleagues.”