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Risks & Benefits of More Open Social Networking

Mike Gotta Principal Analyst mgotta@burtongroup.com mikeg.typepad.com

All Contents 2010 Burton Group. All rights reserved.

Risks & Benefits of Social Networking

Social networking often associated with collaboration or knowledge management (internal) and CRM (external) strategies Benefits expected from social tools and social applications
Connect people internally and externally (e.g., expertise location) Build community across different function areas (e.g., best practices) Improve external relationships and brand reputation Break down organizational barriers and information silos Promote broader participation in innovation (ideation) efforts Address generational shifts (e.g., aging workforce) Meet technology expectations of younger workers Support strategic talent and learning initiatives

However open and transparent environments can raise identity and security concerns

Current Best Practice: Social Network Site

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Source: Booz Allen Hamilton

Use Case #1: Social Network Site

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Personal Claims

Internal Social Identity

Use Case #2: Profile Proliferation


A single profile? Multiple profiles? Federated profiles?
Employee Profile #2 Women Returning To Work After Extended Leave

Employee Profile #3

Professional Exchange of Best Practices

Diversity Community Employee Profile #4

Use Case #3: Activity Streams & Profiles


Over-sharing via social conversation and community actions
Employee Profile Women Supporting Women
Jane Doe: Joined Community: Women Supporting Women John Doe: Working on a big M&A deal, need to work late tonight stay tuned! Fred Smith: &#%^%$* we just lost the Company ABC account Jane Doe: Joined Community: Diversity Appreciation Community Betty Smith: @Bob Jones That patient ID number is 123456789

Automatic posting of community actions

Diversity Appreciation Community

Activity streams & Enterprise Twitter messages

Bob Jones: @SamJ Ive changed the access controls so you can get into the workspace

Use Case #4: Leveraging Consumer Tools

The The Citizen Employee Me Me

Enterprise and personal identities collide with use of social media

Use Case #5: Aggregating Social Data

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Personal Claims

External social data can be plugged into social network sites, e-mail clients, and other application contexts

Use Case #6: Correlating Identities


Is it me? How much is being shared? Under what controls?
Profile Groups Contacts Profile Status Message Activities Photos Profile Following / Followers Tweets

Enterprise Identity + Enterprise Social Identity

Unification of an employees work and non-work social structures The Work Me The Citizen Me

My politics My groups My music My friends

Use Case #7: Emergence Of Social Roles

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Answer Person

Wiki Gardener

Idea Person

News Filter

Social Role Attributes

Social Data Aggregation & Correlation Social Roles

Social Network Analysis

Use Case #8: Analyzing Relationships


Social analytics
Assess, correlate, and visualize relationship structures Within the enterprise, discovery of latent connections most valuable Evolution of tool capabilities can discover too much information on organizational structures, activities, and relationships

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Members Of Investigation Unit

Node 8 To Node 10 To Node 14 To Node 15


Source: Telligent

Needs to figure out how to help a company deal with export / import regulations in country XYZ

Has dealt with import / export problems in country XYZ for years in past job role

Awareness & Management Of Risks


Use Case concerns relevant to identity and security teams Profiles And Profiling
Credibility of profile and social claims Possible bias against employees by co-workers based on race, diversity, affiliation information made open and transparent via social media tools

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Information Security
Intellectual property, compliance, e-Discovery, monitoring Aggregation / correlation capabilities Data management and data integration (profiles, roles, etc)

Privacy
Adherence to regulatory statutes, level of employee controls, possible stalking situations (hostile workplace)

Social Network Analysis


Makes relationships visible that perhaps should not (connecting the dots) May lead to befriend / defraud situations, social engineering

Recommendations
Moving forward with social media and social networking efforts

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Social media and social networking are strategic initiatives that are here to stay saying no is not the right approach A decision-making framework and governance model is an essential component of any strategy Policies and procedures need to focus on the human element and avoid technology as a panacea Identity and security objectives need to be viewed on the same level as desires for openness and transparency IT teams that should be viewed as key stakeholders in social media and social networking strategies include:
Groups responsible for collaboration and community efforts Identity management and security groups Information management and data analysis groups

Two Sides Of The Social Networking Coin


References CCS Overviews & Reports
Field Research Study: Social Networking Within the Enterprise Field Research Study: Getting Started with Enterprise Social Networks Field Research Study: Addressing Business and Cultural Needs Field Research Study: Facilitating Social Participation Field Research Study: Enabling Social Platforms

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IdPS Overview & Reports


2010 Identity and Privacy Strategies Planning Guide: A Market in Transformation Roles: Coordination for the Enterprise Privacy A Relationship Layer for the Web . . . and for Enterprises, Too

Blogs
Collaboration and Content Strategies blog (http://ccsblog.burtongroup.com/) Identity and Privacy Strategies blog http://identityblog.burtongroup.com/ Collaborative Thinking (http://mikeg.typepad.com/)

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Q&A

All Contents 2010 Burton Group. All rights reserved.

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