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The business world is connected. Not because organizations are moving their brands to the social networking scene, which almost ends up looking like Spam anyway, but because the employees are social networking users. One way or another, companies will have to deal with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and others. So should they fight this trend or allow it?
Social networking – deny or allow? Image: Dan Taylor/Flickr.
At the Gartner Symposium in Florida this week, Carol Rozwell, a Gartner vice president, gave a talk about the importance of social networking in business. She stressed the face that the corporate world should enable employees to engage with such communication platforms, instead of having IT lock them down.
“Banning access to social media from the corporate network is futile,” said Rozwell. “The world we live in is digitally enabled and socially connected…While a job may be regarded as an economic transaction, the human brain thinks of the workplace as a social system…We can't stop social networking, but harnessing the passion of employees and educating them about the responsibilities is essential”
While Rozwell makes a good argument, there is still the issue of why social networks are limited, if not banned completely, in the workplace to begin with. They are still risky. The risks come from Spam, Malware, and fraud, as well as the potential for productivity loss. Add to this the fact that more often than not, IT either cannot find the time or lacks the resources to effectively train the staff on how to use social media safely.
Is there value in social networking? Sure, if your company would benefit from instant access to information and real-time knowledge from others in the same trade. At the same time, what businesses lack is enforcement, as what starts out as a solid social networking initiative turns into something else entirely.
How a business addresses usage is important too. The accidental disclosure of sensitive information is one of the largest worries a executive has when it comes to social networking in the office. After that, the fears will range from the other risks mentioned previously.
Carl Leonard, Security Research Manager EMEA at Websense, agrees that in blocking their employees from engaging with Web 2.0 and its collaborative tools, businesses could potentially risk restricting their communication and knowledge sharing capabilities. “With the right support, Web 2.0 opens up a host of new opportunities which can deliver real business benefits,” he points out.
At the same time, he believes that through real-time analysis and the right level of education and awareness, companies can protect both their assets and employees when engaging with tools such as social networks online.
“Demand for access to Web 2.0 technologies is clear and rising. Websense recently surveyed IT managers across the world and found that 86 per cent of IT Managers reported feeling pressured to allow further access to more types of Web 2.0 sites and technologies. This isn’t surprising; nowadays employees and especially younger staff members expect to be able to communicate via multiple channels and use Web 2.0 tools as part of their everyday lives,” Leonard said.
“However, whilst most IT Managers are keen to help employees embrace Web 2.0, many are also concerned about the risks they pose to corporate security, especially when they know that more than 50-percent of all data stealing attacks are conducted over the Web. Making sure employees are aware and understand the potential for malicious threats on social networks is a first line of defense. However companies also have a responsibility to ensure that their staff are protected and have contingency plans in place.”
So again, Rozwell is right to a point, but there needs to be some ground rules in place, and those rules need to be enforced. Time is money, so it isn’t enough to just draft policy on social network usage and simply leave it sit.
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