Social Networking – How to avoid a digital hangover

Source Text: ENISA Web Site

ENISA is launching its first Position Paper on Security Issues and Recommendations for Online Social Networks at the echallenges conference in the Hague, 25 Oct. Social Networking is like a ‘digital cocktail party’: a powerful mixture of human social instincts and web 2.0 technology which is revolutionising the Internet. ENISA emphasises the many benefits of Social Networking but identifies 15 important threats. This leads to 19 recommendations on how Social Networking can be made safer.

ENISA’s Position Paper emphasises the commercial and social benefits of a safe and well-informed use of Social Networking Sites (SNS). “Safer Social Networking is ‘win-win’ for all: both users and SNS providers” says the Executive Director of ENISA, Mr Andrea Pirotti.

Several SNS are now among the top 10 most visited websites globally. The commercial success of the multi-billion Euro SNS industry depends heavily on the number of users it attracts. Combined with the strong human desire to connect, this encourages design and online behaviour where security and privacy are not always the first priority.

Users are often not aware of the size or nature of the audiences accessing their information and the sense of intimacy created by being among digital friends often leads to a ‘digital hangover’ – disclosures and digital “memories” that cannot be forgotten the morning after.

For full list of threats and recommendations, please refer to the Position Paper http://www.enisa.europa.eu/doc/pdf/deliverables/enisa_pp_social_networks.pdf