Numbers: In Case You Didn't Know, Social Networking is Sticky

Sophos sounds warning about social networking, stating that more than half of surveyed Facebook users log onto the site from work

January 25, 2008 — CSO — Sophos sounds warning about social networking, stating that more than half of surveyed Facebook users log onto the site from work

By Katherine Walsh

More than half of Facebook users surveyed last autumn can’t stop themselves from logging onto the social networking site from work at least once a day--at least according to a report issued by a vendor that sells software to help corporations control unproductive web browsing.

According to an online survey conducted by Sophos in September and October 2007, 37.2 percent of surveyed Facebook users access their accounts once or twice during the workday. Eight percent visit the social networking site up to ten times a day, and 14 percent are logged into their Facebook account all day. Despite those figures, 40 percent say they never engage in social networking at the office; they wait until they get home. The numbers were released as part of 2008 Security Threat Report from Sophos, which is primarily known for its anti-virus and anti-spyware products.

Sophos warns that social networking can lead to identity theft and to malware being introduced into the workplace. The company also links the risk of social networking to lax attitudes about passwords, pointing out that 32 percent of respondents to an online survey conducted in November and December 2007 say they use the same password for every website they access--meaning that their Facebook passwords are very likely the keys to corporate resources as well. Forty-eight percent said they use a few different passwords, and 20 percent (your favorite 20 percent, right?) said they never use the same password.

Although people need to be more cognizant of the information they make available online in the first place, Sophos says social networking sites also need to do more to address the problem. “While Facebook has been commended for the strict security options available, it needs to do more to educate its users on securing profiles and consider changing its own default settings,” states the report.

Staff Writer Katherine Walsh can be reached at kwalsh@cxo.com.