How can you handle risks that come with social networking?

Social networking -- whether it be Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter or something else -- is fast becoming a way of life for millions of people to share information about themselves for personal or business reasons. But it comes with huge risks that range from identity theft to malware infections to the potential for letting reckless remarks damage corporate and personal reputations.

Both IT managers and security experts remain wary of social networking, with many seeing few defenses for its traps besides plain old common sense and some form of antimalware protection. Most say their efforts involve simply educating those about the risks of hanging out on the social networking scene.

"Social networking in itself is a really great thing," says Jamie Gessein, MIS network engineer at Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters in Norfolk, Va. While impressed with how online is now bringing people together, he still favors blocking general access to social-networking sites unless that access is really needed.

"Be careful of what you post," Gessein says. "I know users who post anything on everything on these sites. It is at times almost a contest to see who can outdo whom."

He thinks social-networking enthusiasts may be missing the point that this posted information stays around for many years and could come back to haunt them if a job recruiter tries to find out about their digital past.

Gessein also believes people can end up in "the world for the forces of evil to exploit."

Many agree.

Gaby Dowling, manager for IT manager for international law firm Proskauer Rose, says there's a sound business argument for using social networking sites such as LinkedIn, but she worries about the potential for malware being spread by exploiting trust.

"The Koobface worm spread on Facebook was tricking you because you were receiving that from a trusted party," she points out.

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