Odds are you are already using social media, as its adoption worldwide continues to grow at a very healthy rate. Not surprisingly, some of those users are interested in security issues. As an IDM professional responsible for security design, you can use social media to keep up-to-date with the latest trends and events. Here are eight resources to get you started.

Facebook Security Design Resources 

Facebook is currently the largest social media network. Companies and organizations use Facebook to create a presence by posting relevant articles and industry news. Here are two possible groups to follow:

• O’Reilly– O’Reilly Media uses conferences, news articles, videos, and books to spread the message of thought leaders in technology. Their Facebook page contains links to free eBooks and webinars, industry news, and information about upcoming events.
• Sans Institute– A leading source for network and information security training, the Sans Institute hosts numerous conferences throughout the year all across the U.S. Their Facebook page provides information about those events, as well as breaking news and links to additional valuable resources.

LinkedIn Security Design Resources 

Though not as large as Facebook, LinkedIn is, nevertheless, considered the social media site for professionals. Here, again, are two resources to consider:

• Cloud Security Alliance – This is a non-profit organization, which as the name implies, is concerned with cloud security issues. The LinkedIn group, with over 70,000 members, discusses best practices and the latest trends.
• CIO Online– CIO provides resources for information technology leaders through websites and publications, as well as conferences for IT executives. Their LinkedIn page discusses trends from industry leaders, the latest security concerns, and links to further resources.

Twitter Security Design Resources

A surprising amount of information can fit within Twitter’s 140-character limitation. Here are four Twitter feeds from prominent security professionals you’ll want to follow:

• Gartner– Gartner is an industry leader in technology research. Their over 300,000 followers view articles, links to research papers, and free eBooks covering a wide range of technology issues, including security by design.
• Mikko Hypponen– A recognized leader in the field of information security, Hypponen shares articles, insights, podcasts, and more, with over 100,000 followers.
• IT Security Guru– From this group dedicated to security comes the latest, up-to-the-minute, breaking news in IT security and more. Interviews with industry leaders, the latest information on breaches, information about CISO conferences, and more appear on this Twitter feed.
• Infosecurity Magazine– Infosecurity is a magazine that discusses the strategy and implementation of security for IT professionals. The Twitter feed contains links to their magazine articles concerning security and implementation, the need for proactive rather than reactive methods, user authentication, and more.

Social Media is a Valuable Resource

These eight social media links are just a few of the useful tools to be found for security design and implementation. Most of the resources listed have links to additional resources that you may find of interest. By following a few feeds from social media, you can quickly and easily remain up-to-date with the latest trends, threats, and security measures, which will help in designing your IT security measures.

Do you know of some other security design resources that would be useful? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments box below.

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