Social Networking's 17 Golden Rules

Linda McGlasson • February 9, 2010

It's something that caught my eye in my inbox last week -- an announcement from the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) on social networking. Seems this group is facing some of the same problems as us re: getting our security and privacy arms around the flood of social networking sites available to our customers and employees.

ENISA's report shows the dangers of using social networking sites, especially when a user frequents them via mobile phones.

The agency outlines a number of risks and threats associated with using social networking sites and has come up with a list of 17 golden rules to follow when visiting them or posting anything. Among the tips:

Always log out once a session is over;

Never using auto-complete tools to fill in passwords and other forms;

Choose carefully whom you friend on social networks;

Don't publish really private information and so on.

ENISA's report also shows that the increased use of social networking sites means malware writers are having a field day, and criminals look to these sites for their first level of reconnaissance in picking a rich target.

Businesses, too, should pay attention to this report, as ENISA says the biggest risk for companies is information leakage. The report also cites one case of a university professor who suffered when someone created an offensive profile of him on Facebook, affecting his reputation.

As more people use social networking sites to connect to their families, friends and colleagues, how and what people are posting to these sites becomes a real privacy and security issue for everyone involved -- even those companies that don't yet have a presence on these sites.