Savvy Social Media Security

A social media network is put in place to provide for a secure outlet for access to social media. Utilizing passwords, as well as firewalls often protects the network from malicious activity. A social media policy is a policy set in place by any given organization to ensure that the use of social media does not result in the release of confidential information. In addition, social media policies also serve to ensure that employees do not tarnish an organizations brand or image via the use of social media to air grievances. Policies of this nature are delicate because they “should not be so sweeping that they prohibit the kinds of activity protected by federal labor law, such as the discussion of wages or working conditions among employees” (Collins).

 The following list will provide for an outline for social media policy as well as social media network creation and implementation. Although not an exhaustive list, it can serve as a solid base to build upon.

• Ensure a proper firewall is installed- A firewall serves as a barrier for organizations to protect themselves from malicious activity. This is especially crucial if an organization deals with confidential information. This also protects consumers from having their personal information exposed. For larger institutions this would be handled by a designated IT department.

 • Edit personal information on social media sites to limit exposure- As it was detailed in the module for social networking that we have reviewed, it is important to limit the amount of personal information displayed online. Things like year of birth, and hometown can leave you vulnerable to predatory activity because they are “crucial data to identifying people” (Lohr).

 • Think critically about what information is being posted- Posting things like “check-ins” can assist malicious individuals in tracking your movement. This is dangerous because it allows them to know when your home is potentially vulnerable for break in. To prevent exposing yourself in this way, ensure that your privacy settings are correct and limit “check-ins” that could establish a pattern for your movement.

 • Only accept friend requests from known associates and acquaintances- Accepting friend requests from everyone that solicits you is tantamount to providing personal information to anyone you see on the street. It is not wise to allow others that you do not know to access your personal information in this way. You can prevent strangers from requesting your friendship by updating your security settings.

 • Ensure employees are well versed in setting security features on their social media profiles- As was evident from both our readings and from personal experience, security settings change far too often for people not to know how to monitor and change them. Training should be provided to ensure employees understand the procedure to change these settings as well as what an appropriate setting should be.

 • Provide a detailed and specific employee social media policy- This information should be disseminated to employees to ensure that they are fully aware of what is expected of them when referring to social media. This should be distributed as part of the initial training and hiring process.

• Educate employees regarding the danger of social media- Employees should be well versed on how to interact on social media without causing harm to themselves or to their place of employment. Training individuals can prevent the potential release of confidential information. Even without malicious intent, the release of confidential information by an employee can not only mean termination for them, but legal issues for the organization as well.

 Through the various readings from this week I have come to the realization that even when using caution, it is easy to post too much information on social media, potentially exposing you to phishing, or fraud. Understanding what is appropriate to post on social media and what is not can make the difference between keeping your job and possibly losing it. The most concerning element of this week’s reading is that it really only takes the smallest amount of information to potentially steal someone’s identity. That was particularly obvious in the New York Times article by Steve Lohr (link below) when scientists at Stanford University proved “that they could identify more than 30 percent of the users of both Twitter, the microblogging service, and Flickr, an online photo-sharing service, even though the accounts had been stripped of identifying information like account names and e-mail addresses”.

 How Privacy Vanishes Online

Even the smallest amount of information could lead to identity theft, and unfortunately one can never be too careful.

Social Media is a Two Way Street

 

 

 

A company that only uses social media to promote their products and advertise sales is like that friend we all have that only calls when they need a favor, no one likes them. These companies do not add value to the ongoing conversations consumers are engaging in on social media and they certainly are not doing themselves any favors by standing on the sidelines.

As Scott points out in Chapter 4 of this weeks reading, social media is an opportunity for anyone to create and publish content. This is what makes it so special. Organizations that take advantage of the opportunity to engage with their consumers in social media circles have the unique opportunity to see true and honest reactions to their products, services, and actions. To engage fully in social media, organizations need to embed themselves in those forums, Facebook threads, twitter feeds etc. that pertain to them specifically or to their industry. It is not simply enough to be present at the party, they need to participate in active and meaningful conversations where they are able to add value. As Scott states, "What you get in return for your valuable interactions are lasting friendships, many of which lead to business opportunities".

Interacting with consumers directly is arguably even more important when there is a concern that could possibly grow into a scandal. It is extremely important to react swiftly and honestly to any social media buzz that could possibly cast an organization in a bad light. Yet another reason why following social media is beneficial. So what do you get when you stay dark?

Like the example Scott mentions with Sony, you get a social media movement of angry and frustrated consumers who simply want the respect of being acknowledged directly. When addressing concerns "authenticity and honesty are paramount". It goes without saying that a fire, when left unattended, can burn out of control. An organization should be engaging regularly and addressing concerns as they present themselves, using the same medium as how they are expressed. This ensures that the concerns are addressed directly and that they feel their opinions are valued.

While there were many important points brought up by Scott in this reading, these resonated most with me. Did anyone else find that this topic is one that most companies don't address regularly enough? As social media grows and becomes farther reaching it will be interesting to see just how embedded companies become in their industry's social media outlets.

2013: A year of social media opportunity

Social media is a living, breathing extension of an organization. As such it is important that it serves the purpose for which it is intended. Moving into 2013 we are sure to see new and different ways in which social media can be used to reach target audiences. After doing some research, I found that there are several articles available online that detail what social media trends will be popular in the coming year. Clearly, businesses are using social media as an outlet to connect more directly to their publics. As social media changes from big screen (PC's and Mac's) to the ever popular small screen (smart phones) the way the content is displayed is becoming increasingly more important. The way a company's website translates to a mobile app is just half the battle, albeit, very important. It can become extremely frustrating for consumers to interact with a company site via their mobile device if it is not equipped for mobile use.

 What about those ads that appear on Facebook? Something that I recently read in an article on Hoot Suite made me realize something I had not noticed before. Recently, I am currently unsure as to when this started; I have been seeing more and more ads in my Facebook feed on my mobile device. It is a given that when a site is shrunken down and compressed to meet the needs of a mobile application that some content is lost. Until recently, this was the case for ads that appear on the outskirts of the Facebook feed. What has become increasingly popular is placing these ads right into the Facebook feed, almost to masquerade as a regular post. I have to say I have almost clicked on some here and there because of how stealthy the integration is. This is a good way for those companies who wish to advertise on social media site, like Facebook, not to lose their content when the sites are viewed via a mobile device. Regardless of the social media outlets being used by an organization it is important to ensure that the content being posted is being viewed by the intended audience. If a company's message is being missed because of something like their website not being mobile device compatible, then that issue needs to be addressed. If not, people are likely to find a different company that has made more of a conscious effort to ensure convenience for their consumers.

Holmes, R. (2012). 5 Biggest social media trends 2013. Hoot Suite. Retrieved from http://blog.hootsuite.com/fast-company-5-biggest-social-media-trends/