Endpoint Security Software: A Solution to Online Threats in the Age of Workplace Social Networking

BOULDER, Colo., Oct. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Hardly a week goes by when the national press doesn't carry a story about how social networks represent a threat to privacy or internet security, or both. These news stories aren't wrong: Users of social networks face a raft of risks, ranging from malware attacks and identity theft to cyberbullying — all of which can impact individuals, as well as corporations.  

The good news is that with the right web filtering or endpoint security software and a few common sense rules about when and how to engage online, your personal and corporate endeavors can remain secure.

Web filtering and Endpoint Security Software

More than 85 percent of malware is now distributed on the web and approximately nine out of 10 PCs connected to the internet are infected with spyware. What this means for your business is that the computers you rely on every day have likely succumbed to at least one form of malicious software, even if its impact isn't yet noticeable.

Just one of the many ways computers and office networks are being infected is by malicious software that's launched through social networking sites. But by installing web filtering technology and endpoint security software, like Webroot^® Web Security Service, you can nip many of these threats in the bud.

Employers Must Set Boundaries

The Web itself has long served a dual role as a business productivity tool and a time waster of dubious value. And now, with Facebook adding over 400,000 users a day and LinkedIn 400,000 a week, social networks can no longer be ignored by employers, as employee misuse of social networks accelerate.

Some companies have revised their internal Acceptable Use Policies (AUP) to cover what workers can and can't do, with regard to usage, postings, and commentary on social networks. This is a good first step for any business — and can serve to help protect businesses from a wide range of threats. But social media moves so quickly that even an AUP may not cover every conceivable circumstance where an employee might cause a public uproar or open the door to malicious software.

With no guidelines or controls in place, companies find themselves in the middle of a minefield, with any wrong move coming at potentially great cost to the business. If you own a business where employees have access to the Internet, it makes sense to set up those rules now — and install effective web filtering and endpoint security software. This will ensure that your employees know exactly what they're allowed to do and your system is prepared for the consequences.

SOURCE Webroot

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