Global Survey On Social Media Risks

The use of social media in the workplace is growing at a rapid pace. Savvy businesses are using blogs, social networks, video on demand (VoD), wikis and other vehicles to quickly share information with their target audiences. The result can be greater brand awareness and an enhanced image in the marketplace. Social media can also play an important role in gathering intelligence directly from an organization's target audience to help improve products, services and other areas of their business. As social media technology and the security for these tools continue to evolve, we imagine organizations will realize even more benefits.

Along with these benefits have come risks. ISACA has identified the following as the top five risks of social media: viruses/malware, brand hijacking, lack of control over content, unrealistic customer expectations of "Internet-speed" service and non-compliance with record management regulations.

Ponemon Institute is pleased to present the findings of our study, Global Survey on Social Media Risks. Sponsored by Websense, we believe this is the first study conducted to determine what IT and IT security practitioners throughout the world think about security risks associated with employees' use of social media tools.