Social MediaSOCIAL networking sites aren’t as innocent as they seem to be. In the rush to make social media a part of their corporate strategy, companies have neglected to consider an issue that may leave them vulnerable to Web 2.0 threats: security.

Cindy Kim, in “5 Steps to Bridge Social Media and Security” published in www.socialmediatoday.com, says there is a need to be aware of the security implications of using social media at work. Yes, sites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter are more dangerous than you think. She recommends these steps to help workplaces navigate social networking safely:

1. Analyze the user landscape. Make use of a social computing survey to determine how your users utilize social media, the types of social networks and how often they use them. This will guide you in preparing the framework for your workplace strategy, education and social media policy.

2. Build the terrain. Work with your executive team and other key teams to make sure social media is utilized as leverage technology. Align your strategy with corporate objectives, and state your goals, key channels of focus, level of engagement, ownership, monitoring, communication, policy and disaster plan.

3. Educate. In this time of social computing in the workplace, the choices are between educating employees and prohibiting them from using the applications. Regular workshops on the latest security threats and exploitation history of social networking sites are a good idea.

4. Set controls and policy. Involve your organization. Provide guidelines for using social networks and, at the same time, inform your employees of the inherent risks that go with using them. The IT department must also coordinate with the social media person or department to determine what is allowable.

5. Listen and monitor. Go beyond monitoring online. Keep tabs on what’s happening in the social mediasphere and update yourselves on the risks and mitigation steps for users.