There’s a new website getting a lot of attention lately that very effectively points out the need for all businesses and individuals to be careful about internet security. It’s called pleaserobme.com.

As technology continues to advance, it brings new security threats and it’s important for everyone to be vigilant. Social media has led to a new openness and flow of information that we haven’t seen before.

Pleaserobme.com scans Twitter and posts to its homepage every time someone on Twitter talks about leaving their house. The point it’s making is that anyone who publicly posts their location is inviting someone to go rob their house.

This site is a great wake up call to be careful what you post and it’s something everyone needs to keep in mind. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and the myriad of other social networking sites are very public.
Does your company have a policy about what staff are allowed to do with social networking sites? Here are some questions worth asking:

• If you had a company retreat or big meeting, would you want staff to post something on Twitter or Facebook?
• Do you want staff to be posting anything related to your company on social networking sites that you don’t approve beforehand?
• Do you allow staff to post on Twitter or elsewhere information about client events or news?
• If you work in a dental office and staff had a bad experience with a patient, would it be inappropriate for them to talk about it on Facebook – even if they don’t mention the patient’s name?

I’m not saying people shouldn’t be using social networking sites – I use them all the time. What I am saying is that your company should have a clearly communicated policy on it.

Security is no longer just at the front door of your office. You need to always keep in mind your network and online security and a big part of that responsibility lies with your team.