With the ever-growing presence of the internet in our lives, it seems that new social media networks are emerging almost daily. With these social media platforms comes great marketing and branding power for businesses seeking consumer engagement.The concern, however, is in ensuring top-notch security.
When a business uses social media, it presents some unique security challenges. If these challenges are not adequately addressed, it can lead to compromised data or worse. Below you will find seven common issues that are associated with social media for enterprises:
Poor Policy
One of the primary security issues that has the potential to wreak havoc in a company’s IT department is poor policy or poor policy enforcement. As a company running a multimedia marketing campaign, there will be a number of people that will have access to the account information. Many times these people will access the company’s network or social media accounts from personal devices or from public networks, and both present security risks. Policies have to be in place to curb these risks.
Poor Screening
Social media marketing is built on the premise of building friends, followers, contacts, etc. The problem is that very rarely is there an effective screening process in place. Anyone that has access to your page potentially has back door access to your network. The best way to address this issue is with a dedicated server. Executing your social media campaign on a dedicated server protects all of your primary data on your company’s network.
Random Link Clicks
With platforms like Twitter, where many of the links have been minimized to save tweet space, you really don’t know what is at the other end of those links. Because of this, you could easily click a link to a malicious site or a phishing site. Again, this goes back to proper protocol and policy. There have to be specific rules and policies in place to avoid this type of situation.
Hacked & Hijacked
As security protocols and software evolve, so do the hacker’s processes .Large social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter have such a wide reach that it can be hard to stay ahead of hackers, even with the implementation of security protocols.The majority of hackers are unwittingly invited in, and hackers are now hijacking. They are not simply hacking into accounts to access data and personal information; they are taking over accounts for various reasons. It is important to take your own security measures in addition to what security is being provided by the social site.
Third Party Applications
Another way to allow hackers into your network is through third party applications. Because third party applications are not always screened, some harmful ones are able to get through and are offered on multitudinous app sites. Employee education is extremely important in this type of situation. You must take the time to do the research and then ensure that your employees are aware of the dangers of downloading third party applications.
Permanent Disclosure
The internet has an unforgiving memory, and once something is out there, it is out there for good. Even if you post something and immediately take it down, if any one shared it before you deleted it, it has become a part of a never-ending cycle. This is even more prevalent on social media sites because the primary goal on social media is to get as many people as possible to like and share your posts. Things can be taken out of context, and legal issues can arise. As far as civil legal issues, the internet is public domain, no warrant or subpoena is needed.
The Little Bird Talks
According to information posted on the blog for the Library of Congress, the government logs a copy of every tweet you send out on Twitter. This means that every tweet that has ever gone out since the inception of the company seven years ago is on file at the Library of Congress (once again, public record). This is why it is important to use immense discretion withthe type of data you share on social media sites.
Unfortunately, this is only the tip of the iceberg; however, if you can get a grasp on the issues mentioned here, you will have gone a long way in creating a safer social media environment for your business.
Ken Myers is a father, husband, and entrepreneur. He has combined his passion for helping families find in-home care with his experience to build a business. Learn more about him by visiting @KenneyMyers on Twitter.
