Friday, September 6, 2013

Social Networking Security or Lack of When Promoting Your Brand

  It was quite interesting that I got a message couple of days ago on Facebook, from a girl who is not on my friend list, about hiring me as a network marketer. I do not know who she really is and how she got all of my information on Facebook. I've never heard of or seen any recruitment on a social media platform like this before. So I thought it was funny because it's quite competitive and hard to find a job nowadays, and I even got a job offer on Facebook.
                                         

Social networking websites and social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin have been exponentially growing for the past decade. Social networking provides incredible opportunities for businesses to show the world their products and services. It also provides a great chance to interact with people at anywhere and at anytime.  There are many benefits that businesses or companies can benefit from social media such as online customer services with quick responses and feedback, online conversations between clients and companies, and even online consulting. Moreover, many companies even use social media to build business relationships with customers, potential clients, employees, and investors.

However, it is quite important that companies should know how to protect their copyrights and trademarks when promoting their brands through social networking sites and social media platforms because a business brand is as valuable and important as its products and services. In my opinion, on top of those benefits, there are a lot of potential challenges coming along with social media, including
data security, privacy concerns, and personal information leaks. An example of data security and privacy concerns is on March 11, 2012, Chinese spies created a fake Facebook to friend NATO officials (Protalinski, 2012). Also, Facebook admitted that they have leaked 6 million users' information such as phone numbers and email addresses (Shih, 2013).

       Therefore, I think it is significant that companies should be aware of these issues and take measures to minimize their personal data and use to be exposed to on social media. There are several ways, in my point of view, that are useful for privacy and data protection such as use strong passwords, review privacy settings frequently, provide little personal information and use browsers with security tools like AdBlock, and NoScript. Finally, always be careful with your information and data when you're online.


                                                                     Work Cited
Protalinski, Emil. "Chinese Spies Used Fake Facebook Profile to Friend NATO Officials." CBS Interactive, March 11, 2012. Web. 09/06/2013. http://www.zdnet.com/blog/facebook/chinese-spies-used-fake-facebook-profile-to-friend-nato-officials/10389

Shih, Gerry. "Facebook Admits Year-long Data Breach Exposed 6 Million Users." Yahoo! Inc, June 21, 2013. Web. 09/06/2013. http://news.yahoo.com/facebook-admits-long-data-breach-exposed-6-million-230546858.html
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4 comments:

  1. UnknownSeptember 11, 2013 at 1:31 PM

    What an interesting introduction! Luckily you received something positive from other Facebook user. I , however, was not as lucky as you...Couples months ago, I received a friend request from a girl named Amy. I didn't know anything about this girl but I added her anyway because I thought it would not bring me any big trouble and I had previously always accepted friend request from other strangers anyway. However, once I added her on Facebook, she started to advertised her business on my timeline. Sometimes on her ads, she even tags my friends who I sure they don't know her at all. My friends and I got really annoyed by what she did, and I eventually had to unfriend her and reported it to the Facebook administrator. I guess the moral of this story is not randomly add any body as your friend. Yes, Facebook is a great place for sharing, chatting and even promoting your business. Nonetheless, I agree with you that there are security issues that we should be aware of.

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    Replies
    1. UnknownSeptember 13, 2013 at 10:09 PM

      Thanks for your comment. I actually never accept any friend request from someone who I don't know. It's not because I don't wanna make new friends, but to be safe on the web, always be careful when accepting friend requests. The other day, I got a message from a stranger (a girl) saying she liked my photos on Facebook and that's why she wanted to add me. She asked me if I like tattoos so hit her up if I wanna talk, and she gave me her phone number. I was kinda curious about her, so I checked out her Facebook, and there's only one photo of hers ^_^. So I guess she must be working at a tattoo shop, and wants to advertise for her shop. Yeah I'm glad that you learned a good lesson from what happened to you on Facebook.

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  2. Lehongngocs100wSeptember 11, 2013 at 9:49 PM

    Hi Duc!

    Your topic is really attracted me, your useful information make me get concern about the risk of using social networking. Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn and other social networks have become an integral part of online lives. Social networks are a great way to stay connected with others, but you should be wary about how much personal information you post. Be cautious about how much personal information you provide on social networking sites. The more information you post, the easier it may be for a hacker or someone else to use that information to steal your identity, access your data, or commit other crimes such as stalking. Having the latest security software, web browser, and operating system are the best defenses against viruses, malware, and other online threats.
    Le Hong Ngo

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  3. MinhNguyenCS100WOctober 14, 2013 at 9:46 PM

    Hi Duc, your blog was well researched and organized. You explained clearly the importance of social networking. You covered advertising quite well, but it's only one way businesses can interact with Facebook or Twitter. Social network is an integral part of our life and care should be taken as personal information is very vital part of users security. One added thing could be mentioned along with pros and cons is how to be cautious when using social networking sites. however, you did a good job and I very thank you for your useful post! :)

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