Security of a company’s network and systems is big business. After all, you don’t want your sensitive important information shared or stolen. While you take steps to ensure your systems are secure, there is one area you can’t really control: social media. Hackers aren’t stupid, and they have taken to these services in droves, looking to take advantage of unwary employees. It’s important to develop a policy that educates your employees on ensuring that their use of social media at the office supports a secure organization.
Here are five things you should integrate in a social media policy to ensure social media is conducted in a secure manner.
- Log in using HTTPS – HTTPS is a type of transfer protocol that ensures the data is transferred in a more secure manner between networks. Many websites like Facebook, Google, etc. support HTTPS, and you should ensure that you use it. To use HTTPS, you simply put an S at the end of the usual http address in the URL bar of your browser. I.e., https://facebook.com will open a more secure version of Facebook. By using HTTPS you can eliminate Man-in-the-Middle attacks and other similar types of phishing.
- Don’t share personal information – This might seem like a no-brainer to some, but there are still users out there who love to share their personal information. It’s important to remember that social media is all about being social. Most information you share can be viewed by others. The last thing you want is a hacker getting a hold of all of your contact info, etc. It’s a good idea to limit your contact information and never give it out over social media.
- Update privacy settings – Social media sites, and the companies who run them, love to tinker with security settings on a fairly regular basis. This has led to a number of users being caught unaware of their security settings. It’s a good idea to ensure that all of your profile information is private.
- Watch what you click on – Take a look at any service and you’ll notice that the vast majority of content contains links. This is where hackers are starting to target, by placing malicious software connected to links, or hijacking accounts and sending links to users to get them to click on them. Tactics like these need to be highlighted, and you should tell your employees not to click on any suspicious links. If they receive links from friends that seem uncharacteristic, it’s a good idea to not click on them.
- If you don’t know them, they aren’t your friend – Yes, social media is about connecting with people. However, when it comes to personal accounts, you should encourage your employees to be judicious in who they connect with. In general, if they don’t know the person who has just tried to add them to their network then it’s advisable not to do so.
The five tips above are just a few things you should include in a social media use policy in the office. It’s important to have a solid policy if you want to ensure that your network and data remain safe from potential threats from social media. Looking to learn more about safety and security of your networks? Contact us, we may be able to help.
