by The Computing Australia Group | Business Guide to Social
Media Security
Social media is a growth engine-brand building, demand gen, recruitment, customer service. It’s also a high-value target for attackers. Compromised accounts lead to reputational damage, data loss, compliance fines, and real revenue hits (fake promos, refund scams, hijacked ad budgets). The risk surface keeps expanding-new platforms, more integrations, more staff access, more automation.
This guide turns your original post into a practical playbook: clear threats, real-world controls, ready-to-use checklists, and a light-touch governance model that marketing teams won’t hate. Share it with your social, HR, IT and legal stakeholders to align on one simple framework.
The evolving threat landscape
Attackers follow attention. As your brand grows across Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, X, Facebook, YouTube, Reddit and niche communities, so does the attack surface:
- Credential reuse attacks from third-party breaches.
- Malicious OAuth app grants that bypass passwords entirely.
- Business email compromise (BEC) that pivots into your social channels.
- Ad account hijacking to run fraudulent campaigns on your credit card.
- AI-generated impersonations: fake exec posts, cloned voices, deepfake videos.
- Social engineering via DMs to staff, customers, and job seekers.
Most common social media risks to businesses
1. Inactive & unattended accounts
- Early land-grabs leave dormant handles ripe for takeover.
- Old admins keep access; passwords are weak or shared; recovery emails are stale.
- Attackers use abandoned pages to post scams or drive malware.
Fix: inventory → decide (keep, lock down, deprecate, or delete) → enforce owners → set a review cadence.
2. The human factor
- Staff post from personal devices, reuse passwords, or accept suspicious collab requests.
- New joiners inherit access informally; leavers retain it.
- Oversharing behind-the-scenes content leaks confidential data (screens, whiteboards, badges).
Fix: least-privilege roles, short “micro-training”, and two-person approval for risky actions.
3. Vulnerable third-party apps
- Scheduling, analytics, giveaway tools, influencer platforms, AI caption writers-each adds OAuth permissions and data flow risks.
- “Free” tools often monetise data access.
Fix: vendor review & minimum scopes; quarterly app audits; revoke anything idle.
4. Phishing & social engineering
- “Brand collab” emails and DMs, fake Meta/TikTok policy violations, ad credit offers.
- Link shorteners and look-alike domains harvest credentials.
Fix: phishing training, safe-link previews, and platform security alerts enabled-and passwordless or hardware-key MFA where supported.
5. Imposter/clone accounts
- Look-alike usernames/logos trick customers and applicants; promote scams; harvest PII.
- Fake recruiter/job posts are increasingly common.
Fix: brand monitoring, verified account badges, takedown playbook, and consistent public “official handle” listings.
Foundational controls (do these first)
1. Central owner & register
Create a simple Social Asset Register with: platform, URL/handle, business owner, technical admin, purpose, risk tier, billing owner (for ads), last review date, and status.
2. Single sign-on (SSO) + MFA
Where possible, use your identity provider (Azure AD/Entra, Google Workspace, Okta) to manage user lifecycle. Enforce MFA and prefer FIDO2 security keys over SMS.
3. Role-based access
Map roles to tasks: Admin (IT), Manager (Marketing lead), Creator/Analyst, Agency. Deny ad-billing roles unless needed. No shared logins.
4. Change & approval workflow
- Two-person rule for credential changes, profile edits, ad spend, and high-risk posts.
- Scheduled posts require a second set of eyes for tone, compliance, and link safety.
- Update recovery email/phone to a shared IT mailbox (not a single user).
- Store backup codes in your corporate password manager (shared vault).
- Document the recovery paths per platform.
6. Monitoring
- Enable platform security alerts.
- Set up a daily digest to flag new logins, permission grants, and ad spend anomalies.
- Use brand monitoring for new impersonations & typo-squatted domains.
Policy & governance that actually gets used
Your Social Media Policy shouldn’t be a 20-page PDF nobody reads. Keep it to 2-4 pages, and link to short SOPs.
What to include:
- Purpose & scope (which platforms, who’s covered).
- Acceptable use (tone, confidentiality, no political/controversial stances without approval, no sensitive data).
- Access rules (roles, MFA, shared vault for backup codes).
- Content approvals (who signs off, when two-person rule applies).
- Third-party tools (approved list, request process).
- Incident response (who to call, first 90 minutes, notification rules).
- Employment lifecycle (joiner/mover/leaver access controls).
- Legal/compliance notes (disclosures, copyright, endorsements).
Template snippet-two-person rule
Any change to profile bios, handles, verification settings, recovery details, or ad account billing must be approved by one Admin (IT) and one Manager (Marketing). Evidence of approval is retained in the ticket or project system.
Access management & password strategy
- Passwordless where possible (passkeys/FIDO2). If not, use 20+ char random passwords via your corporate manager (1Password/Bitwarden/Okta).
- No SMS MFA if a better option exists (sim-swap risk). Prefer authenticator apps or hardware keys.
- Agency access: invite agencies via platform roles; never share master credentials.
- Leaver process: disable SSO account, remove role assignments on all platforms, revoke OAuth grants, rotate recovery options, and update the register- within 4 hours of offboarding.
Third-party apps, bots, and integrations
1. Pre-approval
- Require a one-page request: purpose, data accessed, required scopes, vendor security posture, DPA availability, and who will own it.
2. Least privilege
- Connect with the lowest scope that works. If an app only needs read-only analytics, don’t grant posting or DM access.
3. Quarterly audit
- Report of all OAuth grants by platform & app; revoke unused/unknown; confirm business owner.
- Snapshot your findings in the Asset Register.
Brand impersonation & takedowns
- Proactive: Publish your official handles on your website and in email footers. Seek verification on major platforms. Register obvious look-alike handles to park them.
- Monitoring: Set alerts for brand + product names, executive names, and common misspellings.
- Takedown: Keep a ready-made pack-proof of trademark/ownership, example URLs, and a short standard request. Escalate via platform brand portals.
- Customer comms: Maintain a fixed “How to spot official accounts” help page to link quickly during incidents.
Phishing, smishing & deepfake scams
- Playbook cues: Verify any “policy violation”, “urgent ad account suspension”, or “collab” that asks for login or payment.
- Link hygiene: Expand shortened links before clicking; prefer opening the platform directly rather than via emailed links.
- AI safety: Treat audio or video “from the CEO” requesting urgent posts or gift card buys as suspect-confirm out-of-band (phone/Teams).
Training trick: Run quarterly simulations with realistic influencer/brand collab baits. Publicly celebrate “report, don’t click.”
Platform-specific hardening tips
These evolve; revisit every quarter.
Meta (Facebook/Instagram)
- Use Meta Business Manager with role separation and 2FA for every person.
- Lock down ad account billing and spending limits; enable spend alerts.
- Review Page Roles monthly; remove “Custom” roles you don’t recognise.
- Turn on login alerts and security notifications.
- Company Page admins kept minimal.
- Require approval for job posting roles.
- Monitor recruiter scams using your logo; use “Report Impersonation” flow.
X (Twitter)
- Enable 2FA via app or security key (not SMS).
- Control 3rd-party clients and revoke older token-based apps.
TikTok
- Use Business Center to manage roles; enable verification; restrict ad access; keep a close eye on integrations granting analytics or content management.
YouTube
- Use Brand Accounts; assign roles instead of sharing Google passwords.
- Enable channel verification; review live streaming permissions.
Reddit, Discord & community platforms
- Community mods must use MFA.
- Document rules for AMAs and giveaways; pre-approve bot permissions.
Incident response playbook (90-minute plan)
Goal: contain, restore, and inform-with minimum reputation damage.
Minute 0–15: Contain
1. Trigger your “Social IR” group (IT + Marketing + Comms lead).
2. Freeze activity: pause scheduled posts and ad campaigns.
3. Change passwords/rotate tokens; force-sign-out sessions; revoke suspicious OAuth apps.
4. Switch on “maintenance mode” banners if available.
Minute 16–45: Assess & restore
1. Confirm entry point (phish, OAuth, leaver, weak MFA).
2. Validate recovery email/phone and regain control through the platform’s official recovery flow.
3. Capture evidence (screens, logs).
4. Restore content/handle if changed; review and delete malicious posts.
5. Post a short status update if the compromise was public:
“We’re aware some posts weren’t from us. We’ve secured accounts and are investigating. Do not click suspicious links. Updates here.”
Minute 46–90: Notify & harden
1. Notify impacted stakeholders (customers, staff, partners) with guidance on ignoring prior DMs/links.
2. Consider legal/compliance notifications if personal data or paid assets were at risk.
3. Rotate all admin credentials; enforce hardware-key MFA for admins.
4. Debrief: fix the root cause; update training; refresh the Asset Register.
Training, simulations & culture
- Onboarding: 20-minute micro-module covering policy, approvals, and common scams.
- Quarterly: phishing simulation tailored to social context (influencer offers, urgent “Meta compliance” notices).
- Role-specific: creators learn watermarking, DM hygiene, safe collaborations, and secure livestream setups.
- Leaders: short briefings on legal obligations (endorsement disclosures, copyright, privacy).
Make it easy to ask before posting. People bypass processes when they feel policed-so design light workflows and quick approvals.
Metrics that matter (and what to report)
Report monthly to execs in one page:
- Security posture: % of accounts with hardware-key MFA, number of admins per platform, OAuth apps by risk tier.
- Activity & hygiene: number of approvals, time-to-approve, content exceptions.
- Threats: phishing attempts reported, impersonation takedowns, anomalous login alerts, blocked scheduled posts with malicious links.
- Incidents: number, MTTR (mean time to recover), root cause, actions taken.
- Training: completion rates, simulation click-through rate.
Checklist library
Quick start (today)
- Build your Social Asset Register.
- Enforce MFA on every platform; issue security keys to admins.
- Move agencies to role-based invites; remove shared logins.
- Audit and revoke unused OAuth apps.
- Enable security alerts and ad spend alerts.
- Publish official handle list on your website.
- Draft a 2-4 page Social Media Policy and a 1-page IR runbook.
Monthly
- Review admin lists and permissions.
- Check recovery emails/phones/backup codes.
- Scan for impersonation accounts and file takedowns.
- Sample scheduled posts for link safety and compliance.
Quarterly
- Full third-party app audit and scope review.
- Phishing simulation focused on social scenarios.
- Refresh platform-specific settings and guidance.
- Table-top exercise of the 90-minute IR plan.
Jargon buster
- Phishing: Tricking people into revealing credentials or clicking malicious links via email, DMs, texts, or voice calls.
- Smishing/Vishing: Phishing via SMS (smishing) or voice (vishing).
- OAuth app: A third-party application you authorise to access your account without sharing your password.
- MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication): Extra login step (app code or security key) that stops most account takeovers.
- BEC (Business Email Compromise): An attacker masquerades as a trusted person to trick staff into actions like paying invoices or changing credentials.
- FIDO2/Security key/Passkey: Hardware-based or device-bound authentication-stronger than passwords or SMS codes.
- Least privilege: Giving each user/app only the access they actually need.
- MTTR: Mean Time To Recover; how fast you return to normal after an incident.
Final Thoughts
Our cybersecurity team in Perth helps businesses design and run social media security programs that don’t slow marketing down. From policy and approvals to MFA rollouts, third-party audits, brand monitoring, and incident response, we’ll help you lock it down-without losing momentum.
FAQ
We’re a small team - do we really need all this?
Yes-right-size it. Start with MFA, role-based access, a register of accounts, and a 1-page incident plan. You can add audits and training later.
Should staff post from personal phones?
It’s common, but require MFA, device screen locks, and no saved passwords in browsers. Prefer managed devices for admins.
Are scheduling tools safe?
Many are-but treat them as high impact access. Approve centrally, limit scopes, and audit quarterly.
What about legal compliance?
Disclose paid partnerships, respect copyright, protect personal data, and follow advertising standards. If you operate in Australia, understand Privacy Act obligations and (where relevant) Notifiable Data Breaches guidance. This guide isn’t legal advice – consult your counsel for specifics.
How do we stop fake recruiter scams using our logo?
Publish official job channels, verify your LinkedIn Company Page, and set up a simple report path (“Report a suspicious job post”). Use takedown processes promptly.
