LONDON, UK: Proofpoint, Inc., a leading security-as-a-service provider, and Social@Ogilvy, a worldwide practice connecting social media experts, have launched the first Social Media Security Council (SMSC) to help organizations better protect their corporate social infrastructure. With a membership that includes Yahoo, Morgan Stanley and other global organizations, SMSC is an authoritative source equipped with defensible best practices that enables marketing, security and compliance professionals to leverage, more safely, social media communication.
“We operate in a world in which social media holds great potential but also presents certain challenges," said Mike Kail, Yahoo Chief Information Officer and Social Media Security Council member. “The Social Media Security Council can help businesses navigate these challenges to build and protect their corporate social infrastructure.”
A global, cross-functional group of experts that spans departmental silos, the Social Media Security Council fosters discussions, conducts research and provides thought leadership about brand protection, technology and compliance risks associated with social technologies.
Initial board members represent industries including news and entertainment, banking and financial services, technology and life sciences with roles across digital marketing, information security and compliance. By focusing on the proactive identification/mitigation of social media risk and threats, Proofpoint will help the SMSC establish best practices for defensible policies and procedures.
“The increased use of social media in business presents new challenges for organizations,” said Mitchell Bompey of Morgan Stanley and Social Media Security Council member. “I joined the Social Media Security Council because it is important to openly discuss social media risk, and to learn from others not just in the financial services industry, but in other business sectors as well.”
Attracting regulators and hackers alike, social media channels introduce new types and levels of corporate risk. According to a recent study by Proofpoint’s Nexgate division, the average Fortune 100 company has 320 company-owned social accounts and more than 200,000 followers. Just like email and other communication channels, companies need to track, manage and protect their social communication infrastructure. These social accounts are all subject to a range of security and compliance challenges, including fraudulent accounts, spam messages, compliance violations, malware and personal threats. Such malicious acts have caused stock price manipulation, brand degradation, theft of customer data, and have undermined enterprise investments in social media.
“The rise in social media infrastructure is staggering—it is irrefutably part of every corporate communication channel mix,” Devin Redmond, vice president and general manager of Nexgate for Proofpoint and Social Media Security Council member. “One of the key challenges with social is its consumerized nature and that it lives outside of the traditional enterprise infrastructure. Our research indicates that social media has escaped the focus and attention it deserves from key stakeholders. The Social Media Security Council is a key forum for driving cross-functional awareness and sharing guidance for how to protect this powerful new channel.”
“Social media holds great benefits and opportunities for many companies that are wary to embrace them due to risks,” said, Evan Shumeyko, senior director of Engagement Strategy, Social@Ogilvy. “The Social Media Security Council can help these organizations thrive in today’s social world and harness the power of social media to deliver value far beyond their marketing and communications goals.”