Sources of risk
People recognize risks based on their education and experience. If you’d ask people to identify the risks associated with social media, you’d get different answers related to their expertise or profession. A member of your IT department would see viruses or malware as a major threat and be worried about the impact of data loss to the company. A lawyer would be concerned about potential litigation from such things as discrimination, sexual harassment, and liability from personal messages. A records manager would be concerned about retention of data, data leakage, and sensitive information sharing. An educator or a parent might see cyberbullying as a primary risk and the lack of safeguards to protect children. While some problems may be unique to a person or business, many share similar risks that can be handled in similar ways.
Because everyone focuses on risks that affect them directly, it’s always wise to gather input from a diverse selection of people. Departments in an organization will be able to identify any would-be issues that are unique to them and provide input on how to mitigate those risks and their potential impact. You can also benefit by asking peers, partners, and others who have similar situations. If you feel improvements could be made in safeguarding yourself from potential
threats, you’re not alone. The Ponemon Institute conducted a survey of IT professionals and found that 63% saw social media as a serious business risk, and only 29% felt their companies had adequate controls to manage the risk. All too often,
people will jump into using social media without recognizing the pitfalls and taking proper precautions. However, even if you’ve been using social media for a while, you can backtrack and take steps to protect yourself in the future.
people will jump into using social media without recognizing the pitfalls and taking proper precautions. However, even if you’ve been using social media for a while, you can backtrack and take steps to protect yourself in the future.