Social media appears to be the Achilles' heel for companies, according to new research from ESET. Specifically, social media securityis a low priority for companies and employees are unaware of the risks.
New research from ESET UK has revealed that 80% of IT professionals believe that social media is an easy way for hackers to gain access to corporate networks because their security is often neglected. In addition, 36% admit that their company could be compromised by hackers through an employee’s access to social media in the workplace.
The survey, conducted in May 2015 among 200 IT professionals, also revealed that 12% of organizations have experienced a virus entering the corporate network through social media..
Other findings reveal that despite the fact that 56% of respondents report the existence of a company policy to limit social media use, 56% admit that this policy has not actually been implemented.
As part of the research, ESET UK also surveyed 1,000 working consumers to determine their views on social media in the workplace. When asked why their organisation restricts social media use, 36% of respondents said it was to increase productivity rather than security. Worryingly, when consumers were asked whether they, or someone they know, had experienced identity theft or attempted identity theft on Facebook, a quarter of respondents said yes.
According to other findings of the consumer survey, when asked if they had "Liked" a Facebook page to win something, 33% said yes, however when asked if they had actually won the prize, only 3% said yes.
Consumers were also asked whether they would use the “Dislike” option on a Facebook page if they realized it was fake, with 10% saying they wouldn’t because they thought it wouldn’t make sense.
