Digital Defense Releases "Social Butterfly" Guide to Help Companies And Employees Mitigate the Risks of Social Networking

Free Guide Provides Tips on Building a Security Culture

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May 07, 2013, 09:00 ET

SAN ANTONIO, May 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- More than a billion people use Facebook every month[i], and Twitter users send an average of 175 million tweets per day[ii]. Social media platforms offer many benefits but are opening the door to new attack vectors for hackers to gain access to personal and corporate data. Digital Defense, Inc. (DDI), the leading provider of managed security risk assessment solutions, is providing a free social networking security guide, "Social Media Dangers – What Every 'Social Butterfly' Should Know," sharing a perspective on how individuals and companies can navigate social networks more safely.

"The 'Social Butterfly' guide reviews common methods social engineers utilize to infiltrate social media platforms and gain access to sensitive data," said DDI President & CEO, Larry Hurtado. "It's written for employees and employers alike, providing practical advice that arms organizations with the necessary knowledge to thwart malicious attacks through safer social media practices."

The guide examines real-world employee and employer scenarios, reviewing the use of nefarious social engineering schemes that occur on popular sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. It covers scams such as spear phishing, clickjacking, elicitation and doxing – practices that can spread corrupt files and malware, extract information from the unwary and expose personal or confidential information online.

The free guide offers safe socializing tips, such as ways to avoid the risks associated with geotracking and optimal privacy settings for different platforms. Also covered are best practices that can help companies build an effective security culture, including advice surrounding browser scripting, tracking functions and methods to reduce the risk of inadvertently introducing malware to corporate assets.

Social media dangers are real and growing, as demonstrated by an incident in which 250,000 Twitter accounts were compromised[iii]. Companies and individuals who would like to reduce the risk of a social media-related security incident can download DDI's free "Social Butterfly" guide at http://pg.myddi.com/content-socialmediadangers-socialbutterfly.html and learn more about heightening security when engaging through social media.

About Digital Defense

Founded in 1999, Digital Defense, Inc. (DDI) is the premier provider of managed security risk assessment solutions protecting billions in assets for small businesses to Fortune companies in over 65 countries. DDI's dedicated team of experts helps organizations establish a culture of security through regular information security assessments, awareness education and decisive security intelligence. This proven method bolsters the capability of organizations to reduce risk and keep information, intellectual property and reputations secure. The combination of DDI's certified security analysts, patent-pending scanning technology and proprietary cloud-based vulnerability management system, Frontline™ Solutions Platform, delivers the most powerful assessment results and remediation management solutions possible. Contact DDI at 877-273-4202 or www.ddifrontline.com.

[i] http://newsroom.fb.com/Key-Facts

[ii] http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/twitter-stats_b32050

[iii] http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/01/tech/social-media/twitter-hacked

SOURCE Digital Defense, Inc.