Cryptic begins its Facebook journey with Facebook pages

Cryptic Comment

Adoption of Social Media without protection Social Networks are here to stay. This is the new “must have” technology that segments of your business are demanding for growth. When properly used, it can help tremendously. Ten years ago, the pressure on IT departments was for basic Internet access. Then the demand came for corporate email, and then for Instant Messaging applications. Each of these eventually became mission-critical business tools. Social media is merely the next wave, and we need to be prepared for it. Many organizations are struggling with the question of how to allow their employees to use Web 2.0 tools responsibly without sacrificing security and regulatory compliance requirements. Social media and Web 2.0 technologies, if used securely, can help organizations increase collaboration and productivity and drive revenue. The focus should be on how organizations should embrace social media in a secure fashion because, with a few exceptions, the outright banning of social media will eventually prove impractical. A formal policy to control the access and management of social media is essential. For example, if a company protects its perimeter against malware attacks but lacks adequate control for social network access, one employee’s carelessness could lead to malware infecting the company network and causing significant economic losses, either directly or indirectly. Social networks are also a possible means for information leaks by employees who voluntarily share information with third parties. With the exception of some very controlled academic environments, banning social media will eventually prove impractical. A more practical approach is to employ technology that closely watches the traffic that traverses social media websites and blocks known malicious sites.