The Ten Commandments of Social Network Security (For IT Managers)

5. Education is important
Security software and hardware mean nothing without education. If employees don’t know what they’re doing or they don’t know what to look for as issues arise, the company will have a higher likelihood of being affected. IT managers need to tell employees what to look out for. When they hear about security outbreaks on a network, they should alert employees. It’s about being proactive.

6. Corporate policies work
Just allowing employees to access their social networks isn’t enough. IT managers need to develop a corporate policy governing access to the sites. It should include some basic information on using social networks. It should also remind employees not to divulge sensitive information at any point while being social. It might seem rather simple, but it could help keep corporate data safe.

7. Block the fringe
It might sound counter-intuitive, but IT managers should be blocking “fringe” social networks. Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Bebo and FriendFeed are just fine. But don’t allow employees to access social networks that have a limited community. They tend to not be as regulated nearly as well as popular social networks and they could cause trouble for the company. And most employees probably won’t notice anyway.

8. Be open
Although it might be a pain to have to deal with every little employee issue, IT managers should be willing to have an open door policy with employees who want advice or answers to social networking questions. Do they want to know if they should open a file sent to them? Do they have questions about their privacy settings? If so, answer them. IT managers are the experts in that field—employees are not.

9. Be educated
In order to answer those questions, IT managers need to be educated on social networks. Don’t just use them once a week; get involved with their growth. Read popular Web 2.0 blogs to stay up on the latest news. Know when new updates launch. Have a real understanding of all the features. It will make it easier to address issues.

10. Go social
What better way for IT managers to truly embrace social networking in the enterprise than to join networks themselves? Become part of the community. Understand the employees’ passions. It could mean the difference between safety and danger.