Kroll Cyber Security Blog – A Dialogue on Data Security

Planning on launching that new corporate social media initiative this year? While this has the potential to be a boon opportunity for many companies, it is important to remember that it opens up new and dangerous avenues for fraudsters to siphon sensitive PII and UBI. Any employees involved in directly engaging customers through social media outlets must be trained to recognize and avoid potential scams and to never divulge information such as passwords, logins, or the like. Outlining in the company’s social media policy – specifically what types of PII or UBI can and cannot be divulged – will also help employees understand the parameters of this new communications channel.

Businesses shoulder something of a “double burden” when protecting sensitive information. They must protect the company’s Unique Business Identifiers (UBI), as well as the Personal Identifying Information (PII) of individuals such as employees, customers, students, and other stakeholders. Protecting UBI preserves the company’s ability to thrive and reduces the likelihood that it will be exploited for financial gain. Protecting PII from the threat of unauthorized use is also vital to the company’s livelihood.