Two-Thirds of Workers Break Rules on Social Networking At Work

More than two-thirds of workers ignore company security protocols by using unauthorised social networking platforms and personal devices at work, according to a survey conducted by InsightExpress on behalf of networking giant Cisco Systems

The results of the survey indicate that 68 per cent of employees accessed social networks while at work. Forty-seven per cent employees used unsupported collaborative software.

Cisco reports that 71 per cent of workers in large enterprises who responded said that they believed stringent security restrictions affected the hiring and retaining of employees under the age of 30.

The company believes that the use of personal devices and social media applications in the workplace poses new security challenges - but it could also result in new business opportunities for the enterprise IT market.

In a statement, Fred Kost, director, security solutions, Cisco, said: “As the lines between personal and business computing increasingly blur, it is becoming clear that employees are going to use social networking and personal devices whether permitted or not.”