Articles and News

Merrick, NY—According to a 2009 study by Internet security firm Proofpoint, 8% of companies with more than 1,000 employees have fired someone for something they posted on a social media site. That, says this article on msncareerbuilder.com, is twice as many as took action in 2008.

Common sense (which clearly doesn’t always prevail) says don’t post any risqué or wild party pictures of yourself, don’t trash your boss, don’t reveal company secrets, and don’t go seeking murder-for-hire online. Yet some people still don’t get it, as the article shows. Unfortunately, even a relatively benign photo of yourself (if you’re over 21) responsibly enjoying one glass of wine during vacation can cause problems, as it did for one teacher mentioned in the careerbuilder.com article.

That being said, security can be a bigger worry with social media than stupidity. The June issue of Consumer Reports, devoted to the subject of security, warns not to post your full birth date, current location, or travel plans on Facebook or other social media. If you want to tweet about your vacation or post pictures (minus the margarita in hand, that is…), wait till you get home to rave about your trip.