Social Media Security: A necessary means for safe PR and Communications

The increasing use of social media tools for business communications has created a dire need for strong social media security. While social media comes with a range of benefits, there are risks that every organisation needs to be wary of. If your company is on social media, it is essential to take necessary precautions against common social media threats.

Security and safety: A mandate for PR agencies
As social media is an effective platform to gather public participation, it proves to be an important PR tool in the current market scenario. Reaching out to global or local audiences to promote an idea, product or an organisation can be made easy through social media. But there are different threats looming around the cyber world. PR agencies should ensure that the social media account managers are educated on using secure techniques to access and operate accounts belonging to clients.

Need for strong social media policy
A small human error can lead to a PR crisis. A click on a suspicious link or downloading an infected file can lead to accounts being hacked, exposing clients to threats online. Companies dealing in PR and communications should have a strong social media policy which should include, guidelines on how to access and operate said account, list of social media activities to avoid, confidentiality and copyright guidelines, creating an effective password regime, identifying and avoiding common security threats, among others.

Vigilant social media access monitoring
Hackers have been constantly developing different scams and viruses that leave social media accounts vulnerable. PR agencies should regularly audit their social media security measures to prevent falling victim to these threats. A routine check is necessary to note which employees have access to the social media accounts of the company and their clients. All access of former employees should be revoked in time, and the current management must determine the access level of different employees. Simple negligence can be the reason for a PR nightmare and mitigating those risks would be even more challenging. Preventing such errors can be only successful through a strong monitoring of social media access for employees.

Focus on privacy settings
There is always a privacy risk for brands and organisations who seek to reach out through social media. PR agencies handling social media accounts for clients should be well-aware of the privacy setting on each social media account they handle. Employees should be provided with privacy guidelines for using the client’s social media account, as well as even their personal accounts at work.

Unsecure mobile access
Sometimes in cases or urgency, many employees tend to use their mobile phone for quick and easy access to the client’s social media accounts. Employees should be very careful with their phone being stolen or lost, as one tap access is all that is required to operate a social media account. Phones that are being used to handle business accounts should always be equipped with a password or a fingerprint lock to ensure security of business data.

Social media has created a new and faster way for businesses to reach people. Due to its widespread impact, PR and communications agencies have used this as an effective tool for brand building, promotions, and communications. But, with benefits there are always cons, and agencies need to be mindful of the practices they adopt so that they do not fall prey to online threats. Social media security plays a very important role in today’s market, with more and more businesses adopting online platforms for public communications.

For more details you can contact us at:
Ph. No.: +971 4 4562888
Email: business@orientplanet.com