SOCIAL NETWORKING : TOP TIPS FOR PROTECTING YOUR BUSINESS
Social networking has changed forever the way people communicate online. It’s here to stay, and it’s fast becoming part of the business world. But these sites present new risks for corporate web security that extend far beyond the productivity losses of cyber-slacking.
Because social networking sites are so easy to use and appear far more private than they actually are, they escalate the risks of:
- damage to brand and reputation caused by indiscreet content or images posted on the web
- leakage of confidential information
- identity theft
- unintended downloads of hidden viruses and spyware embedded in online ads by identity thieves and con artists.
Top five Web Security tips:
- Install multi-layered protection – security against web-borne viruses and spyware at every level, from individual PCs to the entire corporate network, is essential to block the online threats that proliferate in social networking sites.
- Spell out the rules – a clear and comprehensive Acceptable Use Policy should spell out how much personal surfing is allowed at work and on what sites, and any legitimate business purposes of social networking sites.
- Keep the rules in mind – your policy should be a key element of regular training and employee induction, and should be clearly displayed.
- Keep up to date – the rules for business use need to be updated regularly in line with business strategy and employee behaviour, and as new social networking sites emerge.
- Keep an eye out – monitoring to ensure that policies are complied with is key to success, and it’s important to ensure the potential impacts of monitoring are appropriate and conveyed to staff.
MessageLabs Hosted Web Security Service protects your network from web-borne threats and controls web access with seamless web filtering, keeping your employees productive and ensuring regulatory compliance. MessageLabs Hosted Web Security Service enables you to:
- monitor or block employees’ browsing according to your policies
- preserve bandwidth for work-related applications
- guarantee that all internet content delivered to your organisation is free from known and unknown viruses
- provide the same protection to remote workers
- gain peace of mind through one-click and scheduled reporting.
For more information go to the
Hosted Web Security Overview Page or
speak to a security specialist.