I logged into my online bank account home page last night and found that my bank has a Facebook link. I clicked the link and there it was. Some of our customers and employees have already signed up and there are some pictures posted that I deem inappropriate. It invites anyone and everyone to sign up. I am the security officer for this bank and am appalled at first thought. Does anyone else out there have this going on?

This is going to present a huge reputational risk to the organization and I would suggest that you call attention to what is actually being posted to the powers that be.

These social sites are ripe for scam artists. Who in the world put this link on your site?

Who? Our IT person! Who else!

Time for a new IT person!

Are you serious? That's just nuts!

Time for procedure that requires a written form to request a change to the Bank Website & sign off by ___ (sr mgt & compliance?)

Yes, it's completely nuts and we do need someone in here who's responsible to take care of IT. Problem - part of sr mgmt thinks it's a great idea. I'm preparing a statement to the board now. I'm just having trouble getting started because I want to say something like, "ARE YOU PEOPLE CRAZY?". Can't do that. Other than social scamming, can you think of other reasons for not doing this? I'm just about speechless. I/We have worked so hard to get things on track and mess like this just keeps coming.

As Randy pointed out - this could cause a HUGE reputational risk if it was linked to something (pick one or more) that was racist; un-PC (is that a term); sexist; political; unsavory . . .

The risk of a virus penetrating your fire wall increases as well. I can think of no valid business reason to have the link on your website. Do you have to do IT Audits there. If so, I believe the auditors would not be very happy.

Again, that is just nuts!

To me, having this link on your web page is not very professional and would worry about reputational risk. I'm not real familiar with Facebook but I'm assuming that users have the ability to blog? You can't control the content of that and I would think that management and the board would be concerned about how some of the things said in those blogs would reflect on the bank.

I would also hope that until you can get that link off your site - and I would do it A.S.A.P., that you have your disclosure in place that tells your customers that they are leaving your website and your are NOT responsible for the content of the site they are going to.

What if you made a presentation to senior management and showed them some questionable stuff on Facebook that can be found within, say, 3 clicks of the mouse? Maybe find the pages of their kids or relatives or even their own pages? One shot of the president's underage kid drinking at a party and that link will evaporate so fast it won't leave dust! Your IT guy might evaporate, too.

Thank you all for your input. Beware! This Facebook idea came as a recommendation from an IT conference recently attended by some of our employees. I have looked through it and it allows you to "browse groups". Some of them are really bad. We do have an IT auditor who will be here soon. She will have lots to say about this if I can't get rid of it. Wish me luck. I won't ask..."What could possibly be next?"

Read this related article about a bank's intern who created a Facebook page for the bank without the bank's knowledge : REINING IN PROFILES: AS FACEBOOK'S POPULARITY SHIFTS FROM CAMPUSES TO WORKPLACES, NEW MEMBERS NEED TO ENSURE PRIVACY, ROFESSIONALISM

FlamingoGal,

I couldn't get into the link. Can you help me find it?

Thanks!

Google "facebook workplace" without the quotes and you'll find several interesting links. FlamingoGal's link was only temporary.

John,

Great information.

Thank you!