Social networking websites are here to stay. They may have been created to give people an easy way to stay in touch with friends, family and meet new people, but there are considerable benefits for businesses. In fact, any business that has not yet embraced the social media revolution is likely to be losing customers to competitors.
However, social media use at work does carry security risks and employees may spend a lot of their working day posting status updates, reading articles, and communicating with their contacts.
A study was recently conducted by Proskauer Rose that set out to explore some of the problems businesses are having with social media website use by employees. It would appear that social media access is not being effectively managed by some businesses, and employees are spending too much time accessing the likes of Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Pinterest.
Key findings of the Proskauer Rose social media study
- Social media misuse was reported as being a problem for 43.4% of respondents
- 3% of companies have taken disciplinary action against employees for misusing social networks
- Surprisingly, 45% of companies do not have a social media or Internet policy covering usage at work
There are benefits to be gained from allowing employees to have some time each day to access the websites, should they wish to do so. Unfortunately, the drawbacks can outweigh the advantages if care is not taken and usage is not effectively managed.
In addition to time being spent on the websites instead of work being performed, there is a considerable risk to network security. Malware and phishing schemes are rife on social media networks. Then there is the issue of wasted bandwidth. On the plus side, employee productivity can be increased by allowing some time to access accounts each day, and businesses can harness the potential of social media and get closer to their customers.
Provided use is managed, the benefits can outweigh the disadvantages. The solution is to implement policies to control usage in addition to software solutions to block access if necessary.
Protecting networks from attack and controlling social media use at work
Simply implementing a ban on accessing the websites is rarely an effective strategy. Staff morale can fall, and end users will carry on accessing the websites if they want to. They may just use their Smartphones to do it instead. The best methods to use to keep networks secure and control access are:
Implement Web technology solutions to protect corporate networks
Many companies use a web filtering solution to prevent employees from accessing websites that are inappropriate for the workplace. Gambling websites for instance, pornography, and bans of file-sharing sites are common. It may be tempting to use web filters to block all social media websites as well, but this would prevent the company from maintaining a social media presence.
Some web filters offer much more granular controls. They can quickly and easily be configured to block certain user groups from accessing the websites.
SpamTitan Technologies offers such a solution. The web filter means that HR departments can work with IT to implement appropriate controls that allow employees some time to access the sites, while ensuring that the social media needs of the business can be met.
Role based settings can be implemented and can even be set by at an individual level. If misuse becomes a problem, an individual can lose the right to access the sites at work. If one employee misuses Facebook, the whole workforce, including those who use the sites responsibly, should not be penalized.
Implement an Internet and Social Media Usage Policy
Regardless of your decision on social media use at work, you must implement a policy to cover usage. Your policies should cover acceptable use of the Internet, the types of web content that cannot be viewed, and the repercussions for attempting to view objectionable or banned content. If you do not have policies in place, from a legal standpoint you may have difficulty taking action against individuals for inappropriate use.
It is important that Internet and social media restrictions are explained to staff members in terms of the risk they pose to the business. Restricting access is not only about ensuring time is spent productively. Cybercriminals are targeting businesses using malware, viruses and phishing campaigns. It is all also easy to inadvertently infect a computer with malware or become part of a botnet.
Develop policies to cover usage, explain the risks and they can be effectively managed without implementing an unpopular and counterproductive social media ban.