Social networking threat over-hyped, say security chiefs

Andrew Charlesworth, Computing, Tuesday 18 May 2010 at 10:26:00

Impact on productivity is a bigger concern

Social networking is the most over-hyped security threat around, according
to a recent poll of chief security
officers, despite a report last month from
PricewaterhouseCoopers
pointing out the dangers of using social networks in the office.

Discussions at CSO Interchange in London last week where the poll was
conducted, indicated a strong preference for companies to ban social networking
? with the notable exception of LinkedIn, which most companies consider
acceptable.

Some 75 per cent of companies ? a number largely unchanged since last year?s
poll ? revealed that their organisations had chosen to ban social networking,
recognising that this was due to its impact on productivity (which has earned it
the nickname social not-working) as much as on security.

The overwhelming majority said that banning company use of social networking
tools risked alienating younger members of the workforce who could be tempted to
resort to their own mobile devices. Most delegates advocated more education of
enterprise users to help them understand how to use social networking tools in a
responsible manner.

Full story at http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2263189/social-networking-threat-hyped