SECURITY THREATS IN BUISNESS USING SNS

Submitted To- Submitted By-

Prof. Sanchita Ghatak.

Tasheen Sheikh-JL13PGDM119

Tulika Chopra-JL13PGDM120

Varsha Debnath-JL13PGDM121

Vasvee Gupta-JL13PGDM122

Vidhi Chauhan-JL13PGDM123

Yamini Baghel-JL13PGDM124

JAIPURIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, LUCKNOW

ContentsACKNOWLEDGEMENT...........................................................................................................................2

INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................3

Social Networking Sites in Organizations:..............................................................................................5

Customer Support (Connecting The Customer With The Right Resource).........................................6

Ease-Post-Acquisition-Integration.....................................................................................................6

Providing the Whole Product............................................................................................................7

Customer and Member Relationship Development..........................................................................7

Apple,Inc Using LinkedIn for Buisness related Purposes:......................................................................8

THREATS FACED BY APPLE WHILE USING LINKEDIN............................................................................10

Human error, leading to leaked corporate data..............................................................................10

Phishing...........................................................................................................................................10

Spread of false information.............................................................................................................10

Network breaches...........................................................................................................................11

Leakage of sensitive information.....................................................................................................11

Trust as part of culture....................................................................................................................11

May effect Reputation.....................................................................................................................11

Malware..........................................................................................................................................11

Spam................................................................................................................................................11

How Apple can Avoid Social Media Threats........................................................................................13

Implement a Social Media Policy.....................................................................................................13

Make Sure Network Security and Firewalls Are In Place.................................................................13

Regularly Update Your Network Security Tools...............................................................................13

Establish a Social Media Crisis Plan..................................................................................................14

Educate Your Employees.................................................................................................................14

Keeping the employees updated on the latest threats....................................................................14

Keeping track of where the employees are visiting while surfing....................................................14

Type of Business not Preferable for SNS..............................................................................................15

Bibliography.........................................................................................................................................16

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Any assignment puts to litmus test of an individual’s knowledge, credibility or

experience and thus sole efforts of an individual are not sufficient to accomplish the

desired work. Successful implementation of a project involves interests and efforts of

many people and so this becomes obligatory on our part to record. Our team thanks those

who helped us out in the successful completion of our project.

We would like to gratefully thank to our esteemed Director Dr. S.R Mussana whose

kind and benediction and his immense help in providing us the facilities of the Jaipuria

Institute of Management, which were necessary for the completion of the study.

We would like to express our deep sense of gratitude and sincere thanks to Prof.

Sanchita Ghatak our faculty member for providing us with the interesting topic

“Security Threats In Business using SNS” and helping us in the completion of the

Project and her immense support throughout the study of the topic.

We would also like to express my special gratitude to all the members of our group for

providing co-operation throughout the completion of this project.

And last but not the least, I express my heartiest gratitude to Almighty for providing me

the favourable environment and support.

INTRODUCTION

Apple, Inc. is an electronics and software company based in California, USA. Originally

known as Apple Computer, the company is familiar to most people as innovators of the

personal computer as it is known today. Apple Computer had introduced many of the now-

commonplace features of personal computers, including the GUI, the mouse, the floppy disk

drive, and colour graphics. Apple Computer's Macintosh line of PC's had brought numerous

software and hardware components within reach of the average home consumer, often in a

stylish case and with an emphasis on usability. The restructured company, now called simply

Apple, designs, markets, and sells not only personal computers but also consumer electronics

in the form of portable media players and smart phones. Apple also sells intangible goods in

the form of software, music, and video. The Apple Store chain operates over 150 branches

worldwide, where the devices and software and sold and serviced.

Although Apple does distribute software for the Microsoft Windows operating system,

this is limited to its QuickTime media player and iTunes connectivity suite for the iPod. Most

of Apple's software revenue comes in the form of optional software for the OS-X operating

system, exclusive to Apple's own Macintosh computers. However, software and even

computer sales are now only a small part of Apple's operations. The iPod media player is

today Apple's main source of revenue, including sales of the player itself and of music and

video downloads via the iTunes music store. The recently introduced iPhone is expected to

outsell it's production quota, thus making the device both exclusive and expensive. Apple

TV, introduced in March 2007, is a controversial device that is not expected to bring much

income to Apple, rather, to help secure Apple's foothold in the content distribution market.

Other Apple hardware devices, such as the Xserve web- and file-server and the Apple

Cinema display, are not intended for home use and make up a negligible portion of Apple's

income.

Apple Computer first introduced its products at a local computer club in early 1976.

Within half a year the company had grown to having 10 retail outlets selling it's Apple

computer kits. The following year, Apple Computer released the Apple II, it's first fully-

assembled machine. With color graphics, audio capabilities, and fully-documented hardware

specs that encouraged third-party accessories, the Apple II became the most popular

computer of all time, selling for over 15 years. During this time, the Lisa and Macintosh were

introduced, the later which would supersede the Apple II and become the basis for the first

Apple laptop. After several years of technical failures and unsuccessful products, the late

1990's saw Apple reinventing itself with new company goals. The company settled it's

outstanding lawsuits with Microsoft, and in 1998 Apple Computer launched the iMac, a

throwback to the Apple II both in design and application. The iPod media player was

introduced in late 2001, with the iTunes music service following in early 2002. The release of

these two products is now seen as a critical turning point in the history of Apple Computer,

marking a return to high profits and brand recognition. The iPod line was expanded to include

ever tinier models, including the iPod Mini, the flash-based iPod Nano, and eventually the

screen less iPod Shuffle. The iPod inspired interest in Apple Computer's merchandise led to

the company restructuring itself once again, dropping the word "computer" from its name to

reflect its new focus on consumer electronics and media distribution. The Apple TV and

iPhone devices are direct fruits of the new company focus.

Social Networking Sites in Organizations:

-

There’s no stopping social media. A recent Nielsen survey found that 80 per cent of active

Internet users spend time – a lot of time – on social networking sites. In fact, use of social

media and blogs accounts for 23 per cent of all time online, three times the amount of time

spent using email (7.6%).

Use of social media is not confined to off-hours, however. As Ponemon has noted, 60 per

cent of social media users of visit sites such as Facebook and Twitter for non-business

purposes at least 30 minutes per day while at work.

Of course, the use of social media in the workplace has its benefits. Organizations have

embraced social media for tasks such as marketing, product design, and recruiting. Many

have found that social media can increase productivity, spark innovation, and create a more

collaborative corporate community.

Outside of the workplace, social networking can help a business reach and engage customers,

improve the customer experience, help develop new products and services, and polish the

brand image of the business. Many businesses today patrol sites such as Twitter and

Facebook to listen in on the chatter about their products and services. Should the

conversation turn negative, the company can use the same medium to respond and move the

discussion in the right direction.

Consider Whole Foods, the grocery store chain that is the most-followed brand on Twitter

and has an active Facebook presence, with more than 750,000 fans. The company’s Twitter

feed presents an engaging, friendly voice and sends out dozens of tweets to its 2 million

followers daily, offering recipes, shopping specials, customer service, and more. Recently, a

vegan follower reported that he had discovered a human fingernail in his Whole Foods vegan

breakfast burrito. What could have been a public relations disaster was almost instantly

defused by a quick Twitter exchange. The public conversation ended with the customer

reporting that the store had delivered “great service very quickly.”

Some ways that businesses, associations and organizations can use social

networking in the professional sphere.

Customer Support (Connecting The Customer With The Right Resource)

Successful customer support achieves a number of goals. Basic customer service includes, of

course, assisting customers when they have problems or questions about an organization’s

products. However, online networks enable exceptional customer support that goes beyond

the basics, which allows customers to connect with experts in an organization who have deep

knowledge in a particular area. Similarly, a strong online network enables experts within an

organization to be alerted when a problem that requires their knowledge comes into the

customer support queue, and facilitates the creation of strong communities in the form of

valuable user groups and member networks.

Ease-Post-Acquisition-IntegrationEven though acquisitions are on the upswing, a majority of mergers and acquisitions fail

within three years of inception. The most common cause of failure is lack of alignment and

understanding between individuals in the acquiring and acquired organizations. Online social

networks, giving a view to the “real” individuals within the organizations, aid in the creation

of understanding between both parties by allowing members of both organizations to view

each other as a collection of individuals, rather than an amorphous “them”.

Providing the Whole ProductIt is rare that a single organization can provide all the pieces needed to meet a customer’s

entire need. For example, even though a real estate agent aids in the process of buying a

home, an entire network of other service providers, such as title company, bank, insurance

agents, contractors, and others, is required in order to fully meet the customer’s need. By

creating a strong network of complementary providers with similar philosophies and business

practices, a single service provider can provide a much greater proposition to a prospective

customer than an individual working without the benefit of the network.

Customer and Member Relationship DevelopmentCustomer satisfaction is at an all-time low, perhaps as a result reduced business focus on

actual relationships, and an increased business focus on “customer relationship management”

systems emphasizing management of data rather than personal connections. Online social

networks allow a prospective customer or prospective member to easily facilitate a real,

human-level connection with individuals within an organization. This enables genuine

business relationships to form and puts an authentic human face on the interaction, changing

the external perception of an organization from a sterile, faceless behemoth into a collection

of individuals who are ready to help.

Apple,Inc Using LinkedIn for Buisness related Purposes:

LinkedIn  is indeed a great tool for Apple. It offers tremendous opportunities for networking

and information sharing.  However, Apple cannot be successful just by joining LinkedIn. In

other words Apple should know how to effectively use LinkedIn. They mostly focus on the

direct sales and marketing tactics on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is a business-related networking tool. Having a personal profile is not useful

for business purpose. Apple makes a company page for his business. Add all the

important things related to his business and specific and accurate in describing

products and services.

Apple uses his employee as a vehicle for brand promotion- Every now and then if

anyone looks up a company's profile on LinkedIn.  And then, of course, they can't

resist checking out some of the company employees' profiles. One may argue that

most LinkedIn profiles are not available to most users. But, tell you what, you never

know who might be in your network.

We just searched for the company (Apple) and saw had 4 second-degree connections inside

Apple:

Apple Prepare for Coming Demographic Changes in Business although online social

networks are relatively new to business, By the time these individuals enter the

workforce, LinkedIn with simply be a part of the fabric of business, and the

organizations that have determined how to best integrate them into their operations

will be the ones that are most successful.

As you can see by the profile screen shots below, Apple has LinkedIn Company

Profiles Pages.  Apple has tens of thousands of followers and includes a list of

employees currently featuring their individual profiles on LinkedIn.

As shown in the screenshots above, Apple have completed the “Overview” tab of

their company pages by adding a brief description of the company and by providing a

synopsis of specialties their company is known for.  Apple have also completed the

”Careers” tab of their company profile allowing potential hires to see what positions

are currently open and available.

The LinkedIn app for iPhone and iPad, Redesigned with you in mind! The new

iPhone app makes it even easier to connect and grow your network, engage with

professional content and gain insights right from the stream. The new intelligent

navigation is personalized just for you based on how you use LinkedIn every day.

Features:

•Connect with more than 238 million members worldwide

•Stay up to date with people in your network

•Search for people, jobs, companies and groups

•Follow Influencers to get insights and original content from industry leaders in your

stream*

•Update your profile from within the app*

•View and save recommended jobs*

•Read the latest industry news

•Follow and learn more about companies

•Keep up with your favourite groups

•Purchase and upgrade your account to a LinkedIn Premium Subscription from within

the app.

THREATS FACED BY APPLE WHILE USING LINKEDIN

LinkedIn is a powerful medium that enables apple to access unfiltered consumer feedback

and engage with customers and potential customers and provide valuable information. But

there are several threats faced by the company while using LinkedIn. Some of them are as

follows:

Human error, leading to leaked corporate data 

Some employees are also unwittingly posting confidential information about their job and

company on LinkedIn, believing this information to be safe.

"Such information about current projects, financial situation or future plans can prove to be

invaluable for competitors,”

The corporate LinkedIn site account is usually managed by people with good communication

skills, not IT skills.

"The lack of IT security education and strong [user] policies can lead to such an account

being compromised, which will badly damage the image of Apple,”

Phishing Cyber attackers are using LinkedIn to launch attacks that aim to lure victims to a malicious

and fake login page to obtain the user's personal login details.

"Phishing attackers send a message to a victim's LinkedIn inbox, as well as an e-mail

notification with the subject 'Hello' or 'Hi'," he explained. "The e-mail appears to have come

from the victim's friend and includes text asking the user to visit a malicious and fake

LinkedIn login page, where the attacker will then steal the user's login credentials to launch

future attacks."

Once an attacker breaks into a victim's account, it becomes easy to leverage the victim's

social network and harvest information from other users. This information could be used for

various cyber-criminal activities, such as breaking into the users' online banking accounts or

enterprise accounts.

Spread of false informationThere have been several incidents over the past year where false information transmitted on

the internet has had serious consequences, according to the report. 

Network breaches A data breach is an incident in which sensitive, protected or confidential data has potentially

been viewed, stolen or used by an individual unauthorized to do so. The most common

concept of a data breach is an attacker hacking into a corporate network to steal sensitive

data.

Leakage of sensitive informationWorking through social networking sites may lead to leakage of sensitive information which

may cause harm to the business.

Trust as part of cultureIn order for employees to use social media in a successful way for the company, trust is a

prerequisite. Not having that trust as part of the organizational culture can present a risk when

it comes to social media.

May effect ReputationHackers, disgruntled employees, or anyone else can stain reputation more easily, costing the

company time and money. Legal issues may perhaps arise if a company gives an

inappropriate comment about another company on a social media platform for instance.

Malware "Social networking sites are vehicles for malicious attacks to spread malware,"

The leading infection methods are drive-by-download, which hijack legitimate Web sites or

route visitors to infected servers, as well as LinkedIn infections, where spam is sent to a

victim's "friends list" carrying links to infected servers.

Applications on LinkedIn increase a hacker's surface attacks because most people would run

applications on such sites without thinking twice. Malicious code could also be added to

advertisements and banners.

SpamSpammers registered their own accounts and send unsolicited messages through the social

networking site. The site would then send an e-mail notification to users about the new

message. However, as the messages are sent to users from an unknown person so spammers

are now using a newer technique.

There is a rise in newer technique of social networking site abuse. A sender's account is

hijacked and sends messages to everyone who is "connected" to the sender. When the

receiver navigates to the message in the message, malware will try to load. "This example

serves as a good reminder to all social networking site users that the message may not be

from a friend, even if it is from a friend,"

How Apple can Avoid Social Media Threats

Best practices that can be implemented to mitigate and eliminate the threats can be

summarised as follows:

Implement a Social Media PolicyAll the employees, including executives, should be trained in the basics of good and bad

social media communications, particularly in the areas that can have legal and financial

implications for the business. 

Make Sure Network Security and Firewalls Are In PlaceApple IT administrators should be using the latest in firewall technology to manage and limit

certain social media apps to those that should have it or limit unproductive

applications. Apple need to be able to control applications in order to ensure its networks,

applications and data are safe, and also ensure employees are productive.

Regularly Update Your Network Security Tools

It’s important to make sure that Apple has the latest software protection and updates in

place.  Bad people and hackers spend countless hours every day finding ways to work

their way into systems, create malicious viruses and general mayhem for people they

don’t even know.  They are up to date with the latest and greatest techniques and

methods so you need to make sure your systems are adequately armed to stop them. 

Network security and firewall specialists invest countless hours combating viruses and

thwarting hacker efforts.  Apple should Work with their IT department to ensure there is a

process to make sure this happens regularly.

Establish a Social Media Crisis PlanPages and profiles necessary to address issues and the communication strategy of how to

respond if the need arises.  The best position Apple can be in is poised and ready to react and

respond when appropriate through the channels where the discussion is taking place.  Recent

interviews of social media strategists at Apple, among other companies, found that 76% of

the social media crises they experienced could have been averted either with more

preparation or a better response to the problem.

Educate Your EmployeesFinally, all of the policy guidelines Apple created and crisis planning that have done will be

meaningless if Apple do not take the time and make it a priority to educate his employees. 

That means every single employee from the C-level execs all the way down to the

mailroom. Social media education doesn’t have to be a full production, but it does require

some diligence on your part to make sure that each person has been made of aware of

policies, procedures and expectations.

Keeping the employees updated on the latest threatsEducating the employees about the threats posed by social media malware has to be an on-

going process. This will keep them informed of the latest threats they should look out for.

Keeping track of where the employees are visiting while surfingCorporate controls can be used to maintain some visibility of the sites so as to block access to

dangerous sites.

Type of Business not Preferable for SNS

“You are looking at social media the same way people looked at the very first personal

computers, phones, or email…who would want to use that and how could that possibly help

business?”

Following are the Businesses that are not preferable for SNS-

Wine Business- The importance of culture, the world of business, for most of us, has

shifted more than we even fully understand yet. It’s still shifting. The thing most

people can agree on is that business as usual isn’t working as well as it once did, In

India as the Advertisement and promotion is already banned from Media so it’s not

preferred to display it on Social media as it can Influence the upcoming generation so

the thinking.

Arms Business- People want access and they want access to everything, and in a

Industry like Arms after many incidents that occur in US attacks by the civilians there

is been a threat going on society regarding the Arms and so socially deliverance of it

if will not benefit using SNS in this industry.

Bibliography. Google, www.google.com.

Bullas, J. http://www.jeffbullas.com/.

Daniel Ayoub. https://www.brighttalk.com.

LinkedIn. www.LinkedIn.com.

Apple.www.apple.com