Social Media Data Security

Social Media Data Security in Business

Social media data security statisticsSocial media data security means different things to different people and new services and communication channels are constantly emerging. For the purpose of this page we consider any form of electronic media that is used to communicate and share share information. The growth of tables and smartphones to access social media is also growing. That is why this page includes but not limited to Instant Messages (IM), email, VOIP, video, texting, some cloud, etc.

  • SpamTitan reported in a 2010 survey that 49% of small to medium sized business don’t have any social media policy.
  • Spam and malware can enter into a company’s network by means of Instant Messages, Skype, Twitter, FaceBook, YouTube, and all the other social media services.
  • Users who are security conscious at work tend to shed their precautions when using social media.
  • An employee’s information from a social media profile is used by cyber thieves to send spear phishing emails.
  • Hard to detect and almost impossible to prevent – leaks of business, military or governmental data through social networks could become the security epidemic of the 21st century.
  • According to Stonesoft Corp., cyber criminals will exploit substantial security holes in a variety of popular technologies, with a particular emphasis on smartphones, social networks, geo-location services, and the Apple OS
  • By the end of 2011, 50% of all Americans are projected to own smartphones
  • It’s not unheard of for app developers to sell information on Facebook users to data brokers.
  • Many people check their personal social networking accounts from the workplace, making the sites a potential vector for attacks against businesses.

 

 Social Media Data Security Statistics

  • 500+ million subscribers on FaceBook, 37% of company sensitive/confidential information was leaks by means of email and IM – Osterman Research, Messaging and Security Market Trends, 2010
  • According to Neilsen, nearly a quarter (22.7%) of all online time is spent social networking.
  • Facebook, the social networking giant recently granted third-party developers access to user addresses and phone numbers, adding to Facebook’s long list of questionable corporate practices.
  • ZoneAlarm by CheckPoint has identified the most common social media security attacks in 2010:
    • Kooface: a social media worm and is the longest running worm in history.
    • Malicious Applications: Apps like “Birthday Invitation” to request personal information
    • Command and Control
    • The Dislinking Scam
  • From Sophos’ 2011 Security Threat Report:
    • 40% of social networking users quizzed have been sent malware such as worms via social networking sites, a 90% increase since April 2009
    • Two thirds (67%) say they have been spammed via social networking sites, more than double the proportion less than two years ago
    • 43% have been on the receiving end of phishing attacks, more than double the figure since April 2009