RSS Alerts

Share

More services

Related Stories

  • IT consumerization is spreading in the workplace, and so are security worries
    A full 84% of organizations are allowing employees to use consumerized IT, such as mobile devices and social media, at work, but only 51% have implemented a security strategy for those devices and services, according to a survey sponsored by cloud-based email security provider Proofpoint.
  • Social media, smartphones keep network administrators up at night
    Network security threats posed by social media and smartphone use at work are keeping network administrators up at night, according to a survey commissioned by VanDyke Software and carried out by Amplitude Research.
  • Social media policy: Seven questions to ask
    Businesses must create a social media policy to guide employees using social networks and micro-blogging sites, according to Gartner.
  • Comment: How to Make Social Media Safe and Secure
    Social media is sometimes regarded as a double-edged sword. Clearswift’s VP of Americas, Bob Pritchard, explains how businesses can make social media a useful business weapon without opening themselves up to the potential dangers of the web’s fastest-growing opportunity.
  • US standards drive Canadian information security
    An absence of legislation and the presence of the laissez-faire attitude has resulted in Canada being rather lax when it comes to information security compliance. Robin Arnfield looks at how US standards are driving the Canadian information security marketplace

Top 5 Stories

News

Federal agencies fall short on social media policies, GAO warns

01 August 2011

Many federal agencies do not have policies in place to mitigate records management, privacy and security challenges posed by use of social media, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

A full 23 out of 24 major federal agencies use social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, to interact with the public. However, these agencies have made “mixed progress in developing and implementing policies and procedures” to address challenges posed by social media use, the GAO said in a recent report. The challenges include records management, protecting personal information, and ensuring the security of federal information and systems.

Only seven out of the 23 agencies examined in the report have identified and documented security risks, such as hackers using social media to launch cyberattacks against federal information systems, and put in place controls to mitigate these risks.

Only 12 agencies have put in place privacy policies governing the use of personal information made available through social media, and only eight have conducted assessments to identify potential privacy risks from using social media.

Also, 12 out of the 23 agencies have issued guidance that outlines processes and policies for identifying and managing records generated by social media use.

“Social media technologies present unique challenges and risks, and without establishing guidance and assessing risks specific to social media, agencies cannot be assured that they are adequately meeting their responsibilities to manage and preserve federal records, protect the privacy of personal information, and secure federal systems and information against threats”, GAO warned.

The government watchdog recommended that agencies ensure that appropriate records management, privacy, and security measures are in place.
 

This article is featured in:
Compliance and Policy  • Internet and Network Security • Public Sector

 

Comment on this article

You must be registered and logged in to leave a comment about this article.

Terms & Conditions |Privacy |Website Design|Reed Exhibitions. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2012