A recent survey conducted by SpamTitan Technologies indicates the vast majority of companies are prepared to terminate the contracts of employees for inappropriate social media use, such as exposing confidential data on social media networks. The corporate social media usage study showed that 87% of respondents would consider firing an employee for inappropriate social media use if company policies were violated.
Only 16% of companies think social media use at work is acceptable
The use of social media channels during work time is frowned upon by most companies. Many turn a blind eye to a little social media time during the working day, but only 16% of organizations taking part in the study said that they actually think it is acceptable for the staff to spend some time on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media networks.
The threat of termination of employment contracts for misuse of social media, in particular the posting of confidential information or disparaging remarks about an employer, is not an empty one. According to a study conducted by Osterman Research, one company in six has already made the decision to terminate at least one employee’s contract for inappropriate use of social media in the workplace.
With the rise in popularity of websites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, it is understandable that members of staff with Internet access are tempted to spend a little of their working day checking their accounts. For many employers the main issue is not the loss of productivity that occurs as a result of inappropriate social media use. It is the security threat that inappropriate social media use introduces.
Malware is rife on Facebook
Social media websites are a honeypot for cybercriminals and malware is rife on the sites. Online criminals trawl Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn looking for corporate data, while phishers seek information that can be used to conduct spear phishing campaigns.
Twitter now has 145 million active users and Facebook has 845 million users around the world. Many of these users are accessing their accounts during working hours too. Osterman discovered that 36% of employees use part of their working day to check Facebook and that figure has increased by 28% over the course of the past year. Twitter and LinkedIn are also being used at work. There has been a 6% jump in Twitter use and a 7% hike in LinkedIn use in the workplace over the course of the past 12 months.
With so much social media use, it is clear that any company that has yet to develop a policy on acceptable use of social media networks during working hours will have to do so soon. Interestingly, while almost one in nine companies would be prepared to fire an employee for inappropriate social media use, only 22% actually have a policy in place covering the use of social media sites at work.
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube use carry major risks
The loss of productivity resulting from personal Internet time is considerable. A recent ISACA survey conducted on “Shopping on the Job” revealed that 40% of companies said the loss of productivity as a result of employees using websites for personal reasons was costing them at least $10,000 a year.
There is also the potential for damage to a company’s reputation. Take Domino’s Pizza for example. The company has just been forced to fire employees for posting a video of them playing with customer’s food at work. Even the clergy is not immune. A bishop was recently issued with a suspension for posting disparaging comments online – in this case the comments related to the Royal wedding of the Prince of Wales and Kate Middleton.
Perhaps the most damaging aspect of inappropriate social media use at work is the threat to corporate security. Facebook in particular is being used by unscrupulous individuals to spread viruses and malware. A link contained in a post about the latest viral video is sure to attract a lot of clicks. If that link directs people to a website containing malware, malicious software could easily be downloaded to a work computer. Installed malware could then be used to launch an attack on a corporate network.
How to control social media usage and protect corporate networks
There is no single solution to the problem of inappropriate social media use that can be adopted by all companies. Banning social media use entirely may be neither practical nor appropriate. Use of the networks can offer advantages, but the cons will outweigh the pros unless usage is monitored, managed and controlled. An Internet security policy is therefore essential to combat the increasing risk from viruses and malware. Companies are also advised to install a web filter. This will at least prevent users from visiting malware-ridden websites. It can also be used to block access to social media websites at work, should that be required.