Mitigating Risk in the Use of Social Media

Most government employees and agencies protect their computers by installing and updating reliable anti-virus software.  Managers, IT staff and front-line workers understand the threats posed by malicious software, and they know that they have to take steps to counter that threat.  But as more agencies take advantage of social media, new risks emerge that may take people by surprise and may leave individuals, groups, and computer networks vulnerable to attack or data breach.

To help government leaders, managers, and staff understand and mitigate the risks engendered by social media, Professor Alan Oxley of Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS has written "A Best Practices Guide for Mitigating Risk in the Use of Social Media," a report released by the IBM Center for the Business of Government.  It covers a range of risks and countermeasures that people can take to guard against them. 

The report details how social media can be used by hackers who rely on either social engineering or malware to steal information or compromise government computer networks.  Specifically, Prof. Oxley details:

• Mitigating The Risk of Identity Theft through:
• Information Scraping;
• Social Engineering;
• Phishing;
• Spoofing; and
• Mitigating the Risk of Malware through:
• E-mail Attachments
• Social Media Websites
• Unsecured Data Storage Devices

The report is available for free download, or you may order hard copies.