A firm can spend decades building a brand into one that inspires trust. Unfortunately, social media can quickly destroy that trust in an instant. In Social Media Security: Leveraging Social Networking While Mitigating Risk, author Michael Cross provides a comprehensive overview of the security and privacy risks around social media. The book lives up to its title and effectively shows the reader how to use social media without getting caught in its myriad security, privacy, risk, and PR weaknesses.

The book offers a broad framework that a firm can use to create or enhance its social media security program. It covers software solutions, training, policy, PR disaster mitigation, awareness, and more. Social Media Security is a handy resource for firms that are trying to create an effective and secure social media program.

Cross is a computer forensic analyst with Niagara Regional Police Service and brings a real-world approach to the topic. Each chapter lists tools and websites the reader can reference. The book includes real-world examples of firms that suffered damages from social media; it shows how some handled an event effectively while others were completely overwhelmed by an incident.

In 2015, it is important for businesses to have a social media presence. But companies also need an effective social media security program. If they don’t, they could be yet another horror story in future editions of this book.