About one-third of small and medium-sized businesses have been infected with malware from social networks like Facebook and Twitter, according to a recent study released by Panda Security, a company specializing in cloud security.
The company surveyed 315 SMBs and found that 33% of them had an experience with malware stemming from social networking sites, primarily Facebook, where third party apps can sometimes contain malicious code.
Of those that were infected, 35% incurred some financial loss, sometimes in excess of $5,000. Another common effect was the loss of sensitive business data.
Evidently, the risks inherent in social networking aren’t enough to deter businesses from using it, since 78% of respondents reported doing so.
Twenty-four percent of the companies surveyed said they actively blocked employees from social networking sites.
1st annual social media risk indexView more presentations from Panda Security.
