News Recap: Survey Shows Consumers Shun Brands After a Data Breach

By | April 4th, 2014|Uncategorized|

credit-cardA recent survey commissioned by Semafone and conducted by OnePoll revealed that most consumers do not want to do business with a company that experienced a data breach. Of the 2,000 men and women polled, more than 86 percent said they were “not very likely” or “not at all likely” to do business with a company that experienced a data breach involving credit or debit cards.

According to Information Age reporter Ben Rossi, CEO of Semafone Tim Critchley believes that this kind of reputational damage can seriously hurt businesses.

“The protection of card details is no longer simply a matter of best practice – the economic consequences of a failure to do so are potentially devastating for a business of any size,” Critchley said. “I can’t see how any organization can continue to ignore the increasingly loud demand from customers to keep personal data safe.”

In addition to the high percentage of consumers who would choose to shun brands who experienced a data breach involving credit and debit card information, Retail Times shared that more than 76 percent of people polled would not do business with an organization if they experienced a data breach that involved email addresses, 80 percent if the breach involved telephone numbers and 82 percent if they involved home addresses.

Reputational damage is an important factor to consider when it comes to business security practices. How concerned should organizations be about a damaged reputation after a data breach? How can businesses protect their brand’s reputation after a breach has occurred? Share your thoughts with us on Facebook and Twitter, and be sure to keep up with the latest security stories on our Tumblr.

News Recap: Financial Loans – No Longer Just About Your Credit Score

By | January 17th, 2014|Uncategorized|

Loan BlogOnline reputation management has been a hot topic recently. The latest? Your social media activity could now keep you from getting a loan. Whether you’re an individual or small business, lenders can use your online credibility to judge your financial credibility.

Lisa Vaas of Naked Security reported on a recent Wall Street Journal piece about how the financial services industry has increasingly turned toward social media and even smartphone usage to evaluate loan applicants. Vaas writes, ”Many such institutions are giving customers the social-media once-over on an opt-in basis, often using the information as one more way to get credit to borrowers who might otherwise have difficulty getting a loan.” While this may now be an opt-in practice, experts do anticipate a more pervasive analysis of social media. Vaas quotes Moven Bank’s president, Alex Sion, “The data we have on customers via social networks says more about them than their FICO [credit-score rating]… You can make credit decisions based not on a faceless score, but on who you know.”

Alex Sherman of Inc. described how businesses that use social media can be impacted by this new trend? In a situation regarding a startup taking advantage of eBay or Amazon: “A snafu with a supplier caused delays on a number of orders and most of those customers left negative feedback on the transactions. The complaints begin to make your short-term review ranking plummet.” Sherman went on to explain how lenders could interpret your credibility based on that negative short-term ranking. Sherman concluded with the unfortunate truth that, despite your business’ desire to expand your market with social media, this issue is likely to extend beyond lenders and impact “potential vendors, service providers, customers, business partners, job seekers.”

Do you think online presence is a fair assessment tool for lenders to utilize? What steps should a business take in order to maintain their online reputation? Check out our recent webinar, whitepaper and infographic on Managing Online Reputation in a Digital World. And as always, let us know what you think on Twitter and Facebook, and be sure to check out our Tumblr for the latest industry news stories.

Reputation Management Webinar Recap: Start Creating Smart Online Habits

By | September 26th, 2013|Uncategorized|

Yesterday, we hosted this quarter’s cyberSAFE webinar with a focus on reputation management, featuring a panel of industry experts who explored the how online activities can sometimes lead to unwanted consequences, such as reputation damage, identity theft and unemployment. We also published a whitepaper based on this very topic with new insight from HR and legal experts, and put together an extensive infographic detailing how consumers can take control of their online reputation. You’re welcome to download a recording of the webinar and check out additional materials on reputation management on our website.

Here’s a quick recap of yesterday’s discussion:

Panelist Parry Aftab, U.S. lawyer, child advocate and notable expert in cyber law, kicked off the discussion by sharing a variety of ways people tend to share personal information online and what types of information can be dangerous to share online. Throughout the webinar, Parry detailed ways online activities, such as profile hijacks or children posting about parents, can affect one’s personal and professional reputation. She recommended frequently checking privacy settings on social media sites before posting online, practicing safe password habits and erring on the side of caution when posting personal information online. In addition to having a good social media policy at the workplace, Parry recommended having good technologies to back up work policy.

Neil Richards, a law professor at Washington University in St. Louis, MI, shared the legal perspective of online reputation, noting that there are still a lot of gray areas when it comes to defining the legalities of what an employer has the right to manage and monitor. He frequently tells his law students to come up with a personal social media policy for themselves to help define the appropriate site for personal or professional posts. Neil stated that it’s a worthwhile investment for people to be mindful about how they present themselves online as lawmakers and corporations continue to evolve digital rules and regulations. He also recommended that businesses have and enforce a clear social media policy.

Jessica Miller-Merrell, HR expert and founder of Blogging4Jobs, shared her experience and research from the human resources viewpoint. Like Neil, Jessica recommended that people take control of their own personal brand. With 91 percent of employers using social networks for recruiting, Jessica suggested a variety of online tools to help keep a clean reputation online to impress current and future employers including: DeleteMe, MaskMe and GoogleVoice. She advised businesses to create a social media policy that outlines expectations for employees’ social media activities at the workplace and outside of the workplace, and defines what types of company-specific information can and cannot be shared online.

Our very own Bryan Hjelm, CSID’s VP of Product and Marketing, moderated the webinar and contributed some security tips regarding reputation management. He touched on how cyber criminals mine information from social media sites and use that information to create an identity theft or phishing scheme. Additionally, he shared how many users’ online habits contribute to a higher chance of fraud, such as uploading family photos and using GPS-based technologies. Bryan identified that there is an opportunity for businesses to offer social media monitoring and data suppression services to help consumers manage their online reputations.

The reputation management conversation continued on Twitter, where participants asked questions and shared their best practices for creating a positive:

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Thanks again to our panelists and attendees for participating. Head to www.csid.com/onlinereputation to download a recording of the webinar, as well as a copy of our accompanying whitepaper and infographic, and keep an eye on out for upcoming cyberSAFE webinars. We’ll see you at the next one!

cyberSAFE Webinar Series: Managing Online Reputation in a Digital World

By | September 24th, 2013|Uncategorized|

CS_Infographic_Reputation_FINALAs our world becomes increasingly digital, consumers are sharing more information online than ever before. Such over-sharing shapes their reputations—for better or for worse—and can open them up for identity theft. In fact 54% of social media users have been a target of identity theft, creating the case that consumers should be more aware of what they share online, including personal information like date of birth and checking in at locations.

This also has a number of business implications. First, professionals’ online reputations and habits can impact the reputations and security of their employers, raising concerns for businesses around hiring techniques and company policies. Second, there is the opportunity for businesses to help consumers and professionals manage their online activities and reputations.

In fact, the reputation and security risks associated with employees’ online habits have sparked trends among employers: 91% of hiring managers now look at social media when screening job applicants, according to Reppler, and 42% of companies have reconsidered job candidates based on the content of their social profiles, according to Jobvite. Yet, less than a third of companies even have policies to shape their employees’ social media use outside the workplace.

CSID worked with three experts from various perspectives to create educational materials on the topic, for consumers and businesses alike. We worked with Jessica Miller-Merrell, HR consultant with Xceptional HR and Blogging4Jobs, for the hiring perspective; Neil Richards, professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis, for the privacy and legal perspective; and Parry Aftab, cyber security expert and executive director of Wired Safety, for additional thoughts on how one’s online activities can impact reputation and security. From our research with these experts, we’ve released a white paper as well as the accompanying infographic, which we encourage you to download and share.

These experts also took part in our cyberSAFE webinar series. In this webinar, moderated by CSID’s VP of product and marketing, Bryan Hjelm, we discussed online reputation management from both the consumer and business perspectives. Topics included: how employers are looking at social media profiles to make hiring decisions, the privacy and fraud implications of the types of information consumers share online, best practices for managing online reputations, and business solutions to mitigate online sharing. The full recording will be available shortly – please check back here to view the full discussion.

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on online reputation management on Facebook and Twitter. Join our discussion using the hashtag #cyberSAFE. Find out more about our cyberSAFE webinars and watch previous recordings on our Webinars page.

 

#cyberSAFEChat: How Social Media Impacts Business Reputation and Security

By | September 19th, 2013|Uncategorized|

We hosted our first #cyberSAFEchat Twitter chat on Wednesday and were pleased to have co-host Security Today Magazine’s Ginger Hill share her expertise. The chat focused on how employees’ social media habits affect business reputation and security. We covered a large span of topics in a short 60 minutes, including how employers use social media to hire candidates, the legal and business security implications of employee social media use and best practices for safe online habits.

Many participants, including the National Cyber Security Alliance, StopThinkConnect.org, and the Identity Theft Resource Center, shared practical tips regarding social media business security. Take a look at some of the highlights from the chat below.

What concerns do you have as an employee, employer or business owner when it comes to social media habits? Does your business implement a social media policy? What are some best practices for personal and professional social media use? Join our conversations on Twitter at @CSIdentity and be sure to RSVP for our upcoming webinar on the same topic on September 24th at 12 p.m. CDT.

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CSID Hosting #cyberSAFEChat: How Social Media Impacts Business Reputation and Security

By | September 11th, 2013|Uncategorized|

When it comes to social media, the lines between professional and personal are becoming increasingly blurred. What an employee posts online can make or break a career, or even put employees and employers at risk for identity and data theft. To help navigate these risks, we are hosting a Twitter chat with Security Today Magazine’s Ginger Hill that will address how employees and employers are using social media to make hiring decisions and manage online reputations.

During next week’s #cyberSAFEChat, we will explore how employees’ online activities can lead to identity theft and data breaches, and what businesses can do to mitigate these risks. The hour-long Twitter chat will address the following key questions:

  • Q1: How can employees’ social media activities impact their employers’ reputation and security?
  • Q2: What kind of information is risky for employees to share online?
  • Q3: How are employers using social media to make employment decisions?
  • Q4: Is it appropriate for employers to base hiring decisions on someone’s personal social media identity?
  • Q5: Who owns the personal information on a BYOD device?
  • Q6: When does it become ok for an employer to get involved with inappropriate employee behavior on social media channels?
  • Q7: How can employees’ personal social media use put their employer at risk?
  • Q8: What can businesses do to protect their online reputations?

To participate in #cyberSAFEChat, all you need is a Twitter account. You can follow the hashtag #cyberSAFEChat on Wednesday, September 18th from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. CST, and tweet your questions and comments to the group by including the #cyberSAFEChat hashtag in your tweets.

You can RSVP for this Twitter event here or simply join the day of the chat by following and tweeting the hashtag. Be sure to connect with CSID and Ginger Hill on Twitter and let us know if you plan on participating. See you there!

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SXSW 2014 Panel Picker – When Good Technology Goes Bad: Mobile Technology

By | August 29th, 2013|Uncategorized|

PanelPicker_Vote_14v2It doesn’t take much for a hacker to create an attack platform that is capable of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of data. In fact, all it takes is a $20 router, less than an hour and little technical expertise. CSID’s Chief Innovation Officer Adam Tyler wants to show you how alarmingly easy it is to turn an inexpensive, widely available technology into a device that can threaten individuals and businesses by demoing this process at SXSW Interactive 2014. If selected, Adam will discuss how these inexpensive, but powerful technologies have made it easier than ever to inject malware to steal data from mobile devices. He’ll share tips on how to keep your mobile device safe from malware and address how we can protect against mobile threats in the future.

Before Adam can present this demonstration, we need your help voting for this interactive panel. This topic, When Good Technology Goes Bad: Mobile Technology, is part of SXSW’s Panel Picker, through which the public can vote for their favorite panel to be presented at next year’s SXSW Interactive conference.

If you’re interested in seeing Adam turn a $20 router into a malicious machine, and learning how to protect your mobile devices, please vote for our panel here.

CSID has additional Panel Picker submissions that could use your support, “Growing Up Unprotected: Child ID Theft” and “That Was the Old Me: Managing Online Reputation.” Excited about the topics or have questions? Leave your thoughts directly on the voting page, or get in touch with us via Twitter and Facebook.

Voting ends September 6th so be sure to vote for your favorite panels before then!

Upcoming cyberSAFE Webinar: Managing Online Reputation

By | August 28th, 2013|Uncategorized|

CS_BlogPost_Image_OnlineReputation-09Professionals and businesses are becoming more dependent on the digital world, and managing our online reputations is an increasingly important and complex task. What you put online can impact everything from hiring decisions and employment, to a company’s reputation and security.

Recognizing the importance of this topic, we’re hosting a webinar in which experts will discuss online reputation management for businesses and their employees. Experts from a variety of perspectives will analyze the risks job seekers, employees and enterprises face when it comes to digital reputation management, and provide solutions to keep your online reputation safe. We will address:

  • How employers are utilizing social media channels to make employment decisions and monitor employee and business activity
  • The legal and privacy implications of this practice
  • How the information an employee shares online can put themselves and their employer at risk for identity and data theft
  • How an employee’s online reputation can affect their employer’s brand
  • Best practices for managing an online reputation
  • The opportunities that exist for businesses to address reputation management needs

Save a spot on your calendar, or go ahead and register here.  

Webinar: Managing Online Reputation in a Digital World
When: Tuesday, September 24, 2013 at 12 PM CDT
Cost: Free
Register: Click here
Speakers:
Bryan Hjelm, VP of Product and Marketing, CSID
Parry Aftab, Executive Director, Wired Safety
Jessica Miller-Merrell, HR Consultant and Writer, Blogging4Jobs
Neil Richards, Professor of Law, Washington University at St. Louis

This webinar is a part of CSID’s cyberSAFE Series. To learn more, see upcoming webinars or watch past webinars, visit the CSID webinars page. To suggest a webinar topic, inquire about participating in a webinar, or any other questions, contact CSID at csid@ink-pr.com

SXSW 2014 Panel Picker – That Was The Old Me: Managing Online Reputation

By | August 27th, 2013|Uncategorized|

PanelPicker_Vote_14v291% of hiring managers screen the social media profiles of job candidates they are considering for hire. One in 10 job candidates have been denied a job opportunity due to a negative online reputation. Why? Companies are concerned with their employees’ online reputations now more than ever, as the actions their employees take online can impact their business’ reputation and security.  While it seems that employees and businesses are going head to head with regards to online reputation, they can – and should – be on the same team. And we want to help get them there.

That’s why, for SXSW Interactive 2014 we’ve proposed a dual panel on this topic – That Was The Old Me: Managing Online Reputation – with CSID’s Bryan Hjelm and reputation management specialist Parry Aftab. If selected, Bryan and Parry will explore reputation management techniques and best practices for employees and businesses, as well as the privacy and legal implications of keeping tabs on an employee’s online activities. We’re looking forward to shining a light on this topic, as it is critical for all types of professionals – from the entry-level employee through the highest executive.

But we need your help! Our panel is a part of SXSW’s Panel Picker, through which the public can vote for their favorite panel submissions to be presented at next year’s SXSW Interactive conference.

Interested in hearing how to keep your online reputation in check? Vote for our panel here.

CSID has additional Panel Picker submissions that could use your support, “Growing Up Unprotected: Child ID Theft” and “When Good Technology Goes Bad: Mobile Technology.” Excited about the topics or have questions? Leave your thoughts directly on the voting page, or get in touch with us via Twitter and Facebook.

Voting ends September 6th so be sure to vote for your favorite panels before then!

Vote for CSID: SXSW 2014 Panel Picker

By | August 19th, 2013|Uncategorized|

PanelPicker_Vote_14v2The end of summer means one thing for tech folks. It is officially SXSW panel picker voting time!

We are excited about the three panels we submitted for this year’s conference as they address many of the big issues that businesses and individuals are facing when it comes to cyber security.

When Good Technology Goes Bad: Mobile Technology
CSID’s own chief innovation officer Adam Tyler will give a live demonstration of how a $20 router can be turned into a mobile attack platform. It is sure to be an interesting talk that will address emerging threats in mobile security and how businesses and consumers can protect against these threats. Read more and vote for Adam’s panel.

Growing Up Unprotected: Child ID Theft
Our second panel is on a topic near and dear to us – preventing child identity theft. We’ve talked about child ID theft extensively on this blog and we even hosted a webinar on the topic earlier this year. CSID’s Bryan Hjelm and LookOut Social’s Clay Nichols will be leading a discussion on the growing trend of child identity theft, and what parents and businesses can do to prevent it. Read more and vote for our child ID panel.

That Was the Old Me: Managing Online Reputation
Our final panel submission is on online reputation management. Individuals and employees are sharing more personal information than ever online. In this dual panel, Bryan Hjelm and Internet privacy lawyer and reputation management specialist Parry Aftab will debate the topic of online reputation, including reputation management techniques, privacy and legal implications, and use cases for businesses. No matter your perspective – as a consumer, professional, HR manager, CEO – this discussion will be an interesting one with direct impact on how you interact online. Learn more and vote for our reputation panel.

We’d love to get the chance to talk about these topics at SXSW and encourage you to vote if you’d like to hear about them. If you have any questions or comments about voting or the panel topics, feel free to leave them in the SXSW Panel Picker comments section or get in touch with us via Twitter and Facebook. Voting ends September 6, so jump right in!

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