HR and information security: Control sharing of sensitive company data
- Published on 30 Jun 2014
- Frew Murdoch
People live without a care in the world on social media, said Richard Broeke – national sales manager at Securicom – at the ITWeb Social Media Summit held at The Campus Forum on 25 June. People will post outrageous comments and pictures on platforms such as Facebook when, offline, they are far more conservative. This is why if you ask any IT professional their view on social media use in businesses they will usually have a negative response. Companies need to take control over what the workforce is sharing to perform damage control and stop the leak of intellectual property and confidential company information.
What does business think of social media?
Broeke pointed out that in a recent survey reporting on the legitimacy of each social media platform that businesses perceived:
- 82% of respondents thought LinkedIn to be the most legitimate social media platform , and
- 51% of respondents thought that Twitter is the least legitimate social media platform .
What are the real risks of social media in organisations?
Social media users in organisations drive the risk. A huge issue that has emerged is how employees are sharing corporate information.
Broeke used this example of how corporate information is leaked:
An employee at a well-known law firm Tweeted a comment saying 'Hard at work ;)' and published a photograph with it. The photograph showed the cover of the report she was working on. She didn't realise until after posting the picture that the cover of the report detailed the confidential merger her firm were undergoing. She made public extremely confidential company information.
The other risks are:
- Identity theft,
- Viruses and malware, and
- Bad publicity.
Broeke suggested a three-pronged approach to help organisations limit these risks:
1. Policies and procedures
Organisations need to incorporate policies and make employees aware of this information across the company. "If you don't have one," said Broeke, "download one."
2. Education
Inform employees about the IT security basics – from password control to the danger of strangers. Provide ongoing, effective training for employees as well as a Social Media 101 workshop.
3. Technology
This can be broken down into three areas:
- Internet security: Make sure you have up-to-date security for your workforce's browsing habits and monitor Internet usage.
- Mobile security: Most social media activity is conducted on cellphones – especially if your organisation is blocking social media. It seems that 2014 will be the year where the tablet outsells the laptop. Make employees aware of mobile and device security.
- Information security: Prioritise the limitation of reputational damage and attempt to limit the leak of confidential and sensitive company information. Focus on the flow of information taking place in your organisation.
Frew Murdoch is the assistant editor of HR Pulse. She is currently completing the last semester of her BA degree in Communications and English. "I stumbled across your review of our Ethics Guide published 28 June 2012 and wish to thank you for the positive and complimentary comments made – this was a lovely surprise and most rewarding. I will certainly pass this on to all co-authors of the Guide."
Christine Botha, co-author of 'Ethics in HR Management: A guide for HR professionals and line managers', had this to say:
