Organizations are wise to adapt to the unstoppable force that is social networking.  At this point, if you don’t agree please refer to the myriad perspectives that advocate this point, right after you crawl out from under your rock.

Yes, there are reputational risks for companies/brands that engage through social media.  These have been well documented with ample perspectives on how to prepare against such risks.  (Ahem.  Cough, cough.)

In addition, there are technological risks.  Being “social” on these networks inherently implies that people are casual with information and, at times, complacent about how widespread that information is being shared.  When (un)official company networks sprout, it’s the candid banter of employees or alumni typically reveals more than an untrained eye can see.

Like mosquitoes to standing water, hackers love social networks.  The casual banter provides the information from which they can plan attacks against company infrastructures.   If you have the stomach for it, you should read the play-by-play account of how a team of hackers used information pilfered from Facebook to infiltrate the entire infrastructure of an organization: 

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