Social Media Security Tips for Small Business

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Corporations know there are long-term marketing benefits of social media and they also know the security issues with employees continue to be a problem.

Many companies restrict internal access. Others prevent employees from discussing or mentioning the company in social media during private time.

Follow these social media security tips for small business to prevent security issues:

#1 Implement policies. Social media is a great platform for connecting with existing and potential clients. However, without some type of policy in place that regulates employee access and guidelines for appropriate behavior, social media may eventually be completely banned from every corporate network. Teach effective use by provide training on proper use and especially what not do too.

#2 Encourage URL decoding. Before clicking on shortened URLs, find out where they lead by pasting them into a URL lengthening service like a tiny URL decoder.

#3 Limit social networks. In my own research about social media security, I’ve found 300-400 operable social networks serving numerous uses from music to movies, from friending to fornicating. Some are more or less appropriate and others even less secure.

#4 Train IT personnel. Effective policies begin from the top down. Those responsible for managing technology need to be fully up to speed with social media security risks.

#5 Maintain updated security. Whether hardware or software, anti-virus or critical security patches, make sure your business network is up to date.

#6 Lock down settings. Most social networks have privacy settings that need to be administered to the highest level. Default settings generally leave the networks wide open for attack.

#7 Companies who eliminate access to social media open themselves up to other business security issues. Employees who are bent on getting access, often skirt security making the network vulnerable.

Robert Siciliano personal and small business security specialist toADT Small Business Security discussingADT Pulse on Fox News. Disclosures