Social Network Access a Problem for Smaller Firms

Half of 1,000 businesses surveyed by Webroot in the United States and the United Kingdom report blocking employee access to any social networks. The firms, with 499 employees or fewer, indicate they do so because of the danger of spyware.

But there are other reasons as well. About 42 percent of responding firms say they have implemented an Internet use policy as a result of an employee's inappropriate use of social networking site.

Fully 39 percent of respondents say their firms have an Internet use policy that prohibits employees from visiting Facebook, 30 percent block access to Twitter and 27 percent from video-sharing sites like YouTube.

Some 21 percent allow such access, but only during specific times such as lunch breaks or after work hours.
About 16 percent grant certain departments (marketing, for example) permission to visit specific social networking sites.

More than half of those polled (53 percent) say they are very or extremely concerned about malware infections via social networks.

Two out of five (42 percent) are very or extremely concerned about data leakage through social networking sites.

About 30 percent of respondents say Web-based threats caused the biggest security headache for them in 2010, while12 percent say sensitive company information has been released via their employee's use of social networking sites.

Fully 50 percent of respondents say their firms were victims of a virus or worm; while four in 10 say they experienced a phishing attack this year.

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