Recent high-profile sackings and suspensions from major companies over lewd e-mails have once again highlighted the issue of non-work related mail.

More than 70 workers at Royal Sun and Alliance were suspended and ten dismissed last week in the biggest corporate crackdown yet against Internet porn.

And the moves are likely to have far-reaching ramifications for staff in all sectors of work as the line between home and work continue to be blurred in the electronic age.

What happens if a worker uses an office computer to access their home e-mail account? What if a worker opens an attachment containing an image they believed to be work-related but which turns out to be pornographic and how do employers ensure that employees aren't circulating offensive material and using the office equipment to do so? Workers using e-mail and the companies employing them will discover that the only way to protect themselves is by having clearly defined rules.

The Internet is a good source for some advice on dealing with this issue. At www.hrlawindex.com a sample contract between employers and staff makes it clear that all e-mails are "property of this company and to be used solely for job-related purposes." But in workplaces where the e-mail guidelines are not so specific there is more general advice at hand.

At www.info-law.com/guide.html is a guide to e-mail and the Internet in the Workplace. As this guide demonstrates, unguarded correspondence can lead to legal cases. But the most straightforward advice comes from http://speedbrake.com/atwork/workmail.htm which has a Top 10 Workplace E-mail Tips.

Last week's column on Internet Service Providers (ISPs) prompted a response from a reader who has found that BT disconnects her after two hours in the same way as ntl. The Cyber Space will continue to investigate this issue so please drop me an e-mail to sandrews@nen.co.uk if you also experience these difficulties.