How to avoid brand hacking

How to avoid brand hacking and ensure enterprise social media security

Using social engineering in phishing emails means an attacker doesn't have to circumvent network perimeter defenses, rather they only craft a credible and persuasive email that tricks the employee who manages the enterprise's social media accounts into clicking a malicious link or providing the password to the accounts. Enterprises and organizations with a large social media following must ensure that those employees responsible for social media accounts social media marketing 2014 receive security awareness training that covers how to recognize and deal with social engineering-based attacks prior to being given access credentials to corporate social media accounts. This training should explain how social engineers operate and the tactics employees should be on the lookout for. With the proper training, these encounters should become second nature; the employee should know to trash offers that look too good to be true or links requiring login credentials -- even if they appear to come from an internal address or partner organization. Simple safeguards such as best social media marketing checking that the sender actually sent an email with an attachment are invaluable. Be sure to keep employees informed of the latest techniques being used in brand hacking attacks such as phishing emails based on breaking news stories, both true and fictitious. Enterprises must also put procedures in place for employees to report unusual emails so that network surveillance can be stepped up and other employees forewarned.

Securing commercial advantage from social media, the new business intelligence channel

Social media has changed the world. Out of six billion people on the planet, almost five billion now have access to social media, enabling them to connect with each other and converse online. In total, social media users share 30 billion pieces of content – comments, opinions, information videos, podcasts, photographs – each month. Just 15 years ago, none of this existed. Many businesses recognise that conversations taking place on social media might lead them to a better understanding of what customers think and want. However, they struggle to make sense of the phenomenal number of online marketing by social media conversations taking place and to understand how social media can help them achieve commercial advantage. To secure commercial advantage from social mediaq, businesses must do more than just listen to social media conversations – they must apply expert analysis to understand the importance of what is being said and to create a new form of business intelligence. Advanced technologies are available to help decipher themes, sentiments, meaning and intent from social media conversations but it requires human intelligence to translate this technical analysis into sustainable business strategies that deliver a distinct advantage and a tangible return on investment. This is the essence of PA's social intelligence service. Using business intelligence from social media data - or 'social intelligence' - we provide your business social media marketing with real-time insight into your marketplace to show what you need to do to advance and stay ahead. This is demonstrated by our work with a leading health and beauty retailer who asked us to establish the best way to launch a new suncare product in the US. Our analysis showed that many people buy them not to prevent sunburn, but to guard against the ageing effects of the sun – this was radical insight in a market where suncare products are routinely promoted as preventing sunburn.

Sparkcentral Announces Secure Authentication to Protect Customer Data Over Social Media

Sparkcentral, a modern customer engagement platform that enables enterprises to deliver amazing customer experiences, announced today the newest addition to the platform, Secure Authentication. This latest product is made possible by the unique, extensible workflow capabilities of the Sparkcentral Customer Engagement Platform, which powers real-time customer support experiences at scale for many service-first brands like T-Mobile, Delta Air Lines and Discover. Keeping customer data secure should be a top priority for every company, however social networks are not inherently secure. All interactions, including those social media marketing strategy over private or direct messages are not encrypted and stored at rest within the social network’s database. This makes all information such as PII (Personally Identifiable Information) and PCI (Payment Card Information) shared over social potentially accessible outside of an enterprises’ support organization. Sparkcentral’s Secure Authentication service enables enterprises to compose a branded authentication experience where sensitive customer information like account numbers, email addresses, and phone numbers can be shared through a secure and encrypted environment. Secure Authentication provides a redirect for the submission of account information directly from customers to care, enabling agents to provide quicker support after receiving the exact information they need. This data is then automatically synced to the unique customer profile in Sparkcentral for instant access by customer service agents. According to a 2014 study by Javelin Strategy & Research, over thirty percent of social network users post their birth date. Forty-seven percent share their email address and another twelve percent their phone number. Using Secure Authentication, brands can decrease resolution time, lower handle time, and ultimately improve customer satisfaction by resolving customer issues quickly, securely, social media marketing plan and through the medium of their choice. Customer care teams will also benefit from increased call and email deflection as even sensitive issues can be resolved directly on social media. “Brands are realizing that the only way to differentiate themselves from one another is to provide excellent customer service that is convenient for their customer – not for the company,” says Davy Kestens, CEO of Sparkcentral. “By using Secure Authentication, enterprises can protect their customer data and brand reputation while also maintaining security and risk compliance requirements.”