
As social media security becomes essential to businesses, following basic guidelines will help circumvent the worst of the traps people fall into when it comes to keeping intruders out of their media and followers. These guidelines will also improve damage control if the worst does happen.
1) Strong Passwords
Believe it or not, many people still use ‘password’ or ‘1234’ as their password, even in business situations. Instead of the old standbys, complex passwords that include numbers, letters, and symbols are harder to crack. It’s rough keeping track of those complex passwords, especially in a business setting: that’s why a password manager like Keypass or LastPass can become essential. Not only does this take the guesswork out of creating a good strong password (both programs have features that will create passwords for you, including ‘pronounceable’ ones people can remember) but manage them so sensitive passwords are not visible to those who don’t need long-term access to sensitive information.
2) Education
Even big companies have fallen into the trap where one employee clicks on a bad link in a decoy email, where they submit valuable username and password data, only to lead to a security breach within the whole company. The easiest way to circumvent this problem is to sufficiently educate everyone on safe practices. These include:
– Be suspicious of clicking on links; if you’re not completely sure where they come from, they make take you to unexpected and invasive websites.
– Be watchful of official-sounding emails providing a link and asking you to update your info. When in doubt, type the url to the website you want by hand. Links can be cloaked to take you to unexpected websites.
– Do not open a suspicious or unknown attachment, even if it appears to be from someone you know. Ask first if you need to.
– Be cautious of questionable software and downloadable games which can contain malware that is quick to infect a system and difficult to get out again.
3) Utilize a Social Media Manager
Social Media Managers like Hootsuite not only keep track of and schedule media interaction but have software designed to look for misuse of links and posting. They act like an extra firewall, creating a buffer between you and intruders. Further, these Social Media Managers allow for permissions, requiring specific contributors to post drafts to be reviewed but only allowing administrators to approve final posts.
Centralizing social media accounts within your company helps prevent miss-posts and leaks. Also consider hiring an outside agency to manage your social media accounts, employees at Appletree MediaWorks, LLC are trained professionals that can help you with your social media maintenance. This also introduces a formality to social media for business, which employees might otherwise approach in a more casual way.
4) Review & Update
Assess and review your security on a regular basis. Who has access to passwords and social media accounts? Who has permissions to what? Do passwords or accounts need to be changed in the case of departing employees? Finally, ensuring that software is up to date on browsers, operating systems, and all virus/malware protection can keep software more secure.
5) Prepare for the Worst
If all goes well you will never have to resort to contingency plans for reclaiming hijacked accounts or covering for bad posts that have gone viral on the internet. However, making plans in the event of a crisis will make it a little more manageable. Preparing employees on what to do if they receive a cloaked email can halt a social media hijacking intrusion in its tracks. Keep an unassociated email as emergency to reach all employees or users if needed. A plan for damage control speeds up the process and reduces the damage that a security breach can cause to a business’s reputation.
We do hope that your company takes the tips above into consideration. Social media can be good for business when it is properly maintained and analyzed. Reach out to Appletree MediaWorks, LLC for more tips and to have a social media analysis done for your business today.
The Five Step Guide to Better Social Media Security”, MarketingProfs, http://www.marketingprofs.com/store/product/2183/the-five-step-guide-to-better-social-media-security
Subscribe To Our E-Newsletter
Recent Articles
- The Great Phishing Scamdemic
Have you been noticing an abundance of suspicious looking emails flooding y…
- Serious Risks to Consider When Socializing Distantly
In today’s crazy world of staying home instead of visiting friends, we’ve a…
- Ten Tips on How to be Successful While Working From Home Dur
As a web developer of over 15 years, I’ve spent a lot of time working remot…
Recommended Posts
- Facebook Password Reset Scam!
- Why Is It Important To Know Who Owns Your Representative? One Example: Glass-Steagall
- Calendar
- Ways to Move Up in Search Engine Results
- Why is the website broken only for me?
- Help Alexa and Siri Find Your Business During Voice Search
- UWUA Local 304
- 06/07/2019 E-Newsletter: Did Microsoft call? How to Make Strong Passwords
- More than a Billion Passwords Stolen by Russian Gang
- How to Survive a Joe Job
Upcoming Events
Social Media
- Chinese Government Holds Back Everyone’s Internet Freedom: A strong example of the problems this world... Chinese Government Holds Back Everyone’s Internet Freedom: A strong example of the problems this world faces with cyber censorship is what is going on in China. The government blocks many websit ...
- EU-US Privacy Shield Still Not Protecting Your Privacy: Still collecting bulk data, problems with the... EU-US Privacy Shield Still Not Protecting Your Privacy: Still collecting bulk data, problems with the judicial redress act, and no true protection for businesses
- Copyright and Social Media: This has become a gray area. Almost everyone is guilty of... Copyright and Social Media: This has become a gray area. Almost everyone is guilty of sharing something on social media, whether it be Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, that was copyrighted and not you ...
- How Your Devices are Tracking you and How to Stop it: Apple, Microsoft, and Android How Your Devices are Tracking you and How to Stop it: Apple, Microsoft, and Android
- Being Safe while Downloading Apps: With how many apps are downloaded it is always a... Being Safe while Downloading Apps: With how many apps are downloaded it is always a good idea to stay safe while downloading. You must take precautions, learn where to download, and do your research.
- Why Labor Unions Need Member Data System: Many large organizations – specifically labor unions –... Why Labor Unions Need Member Data System: Many large organizations – specifically labor unions – struggle trying to keep their member data updated and accessible. Without a centralized dat ...
- Is Your Phone Keeping You up at Night? Our electronics tend to distract us from... Is Your Phone Keeping You up at Night? Our electronics tend to distract us from going to bed, disrupt our sleep with constant sounds, and hurt our health with their blue light.
- All About Browsers: With so many browsers out there including: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera,... All About Browsers: With so many browsers out there including: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, and Safari, you may have a hard time choosing one. While all of them have their ups and downs you ...
- Mobile Sub-Site versus Responsive Web Design: In 2016, if your website is not mobile ready... Mobile Sub-Site versus Responsive Web Design: In 2016, if your website is not mobile ready you need to change that today. Two main ways to make your site mobile is to either have a mobile sub-site or ...
- Do Not Track: Two members of congress filed a bill called the ‘Do Not Track... Do Not Track: Two members of congress filed a bill called the ‘Do Not Track Online Act of 2015’
- Website Tips for 2016: -Fresh Up to Date Modern Websites -Easy Navigation is Key -Website... Website Tips for 2016: -Fresh Up to Date Modern Websites -Easy Navigation is Key -Website Usability -Improve Your SEO -Social Media
- Where Technology and Christmas Come Together: Check out some of the ways you can enjoy... Where Technology and Christmas Come Together: Check out some of the ways you can enjoy the Christmas festive technology and how you can share some yourself.
- How to Stay Safe While Holiday Online Shopping: Learn where to shop online, how to... How to Stay Safe While Holiday Online Shopping: Learn where to shop online, how to be secure, and best practices to keep yourself safe.
- Newsletters in the Digital Age! In a digital age sending out electronic newsletters instead of... Newsletters in the Digital Age! In a digital age sending out electronic newsletters instead of paper newsletters has become much more popular. While deciding to do your newsletter does have its downsi ...
- Safe Harbor Ruled Invalid, How it Affects You: The European Union and the Unites States... Safe Harbor Ruled Invalid, How it Affects You: The European Union and the Unites States will be meeting on December 17th to create a new agreement for the Safe Harbor. They plan to conclude this agree ...
-
- The Internet Helps in a Crisis: Everyone has heard about the recent Paris Attacks on... The Internet Helps in a Crisis: Everyone has heard about the recent Paris Attacks on November 13th many dead, wounded, or stranded. Many companies have made use of the Internet in a time of crisis to ...
- Advertising Online for your Business: Advertising your business online can boost your sales and website... Advertising Online for your Business: Advertising your business online can boost your sales and website traffic if done the correct way. There are many different ways and places to advertise online
- Using Analytics for Your Business: Analytics is data analysis that usual involves taking past data... Using Analytics for Your Business: Analytics is data analysis that usual involves taking past data to find trends and effects or decisions or events. It can also compare old data with new data using a ...
- The NSA and Online Privacy: Many studies, cases, and documents show that the NSA is... The NSA and Online Privacy: Many studies, cases, and documents show that the NSA is spying on American citizens using online surveillance. As an American, this invades our Freedom of Speech and our Ri ...
- BrandiGirlBlog published this great chart of color and size conversions between inches and pixels, etc.... BrandiGirlBlog published this great chart of color and size conversions between inches and pixels, etc. MonaRaeBeads.etsy.com ★ || CHARACTER DESIGN REFERENCES | キャラク& ...
- Learn About Scam Emails: Scam emails are a very popular and while most email services... Learn About Scam Emails: Scam emails are a very popular and while most email services have a spam sorting feature built in, not all will be sorted properly. Scams can look like they came from a friend ...
- Google Event, the Good and Bad: Google held their press event on Tuesday, September 19th... Google Event, the Good and Bad: Google held their press event on Tuesday, September 19th in San Francisco announcing many new products such as the Nexus 6P and 5X, the new Chromecast 2, Chromecast Aud ...
- Prevent Malware on your Smartphone: Different malware includes adware, bug, spyware, Trojan horse, virus, and... Prevent Malware on your Smartphone: Different malware includes adware, bug, spyware, Trojan horse, virus, and many more (Learn more about Malware types ) There are some signs that your phone is being ...