In our lust for instantaneous content and information, it is becoming easier to get victimized.  Prior to the Internet, when salacious stories surfaced we turned to our newspaper or best friends and sated our appetite for details. Now we Google, Bing, search trending topics on public online communities, etc., for the latest, goriest info. Sure news can be disseminated quickly but so can malicious spyware from some of these fly-by-night webpages.
A private social network and online community can offer some protection against exposure to spammers, identity thieves and con artists. While it may not be appropriate to post information on a celebrity’s passing on your membership website, you can offer members a place to connect with one another over the issue or event. You can create a forum for mourners, for instance, or you can use the event to talk about something that directly effects your membership organization, such as Internet security. Posting information in regards to being cautious on unknown sites (some sites can extract information/passwords from members’ computers) adds value to your membership. Remind them that they are less likely to experience fraudulent activity on your private site because of the administrative monitoring and sign-in process.
Instantaneous information is bittersweet. It allows us to be a part of the news as it’s made but it also makes us (and our private information) vulnerable to theft. Help guard your members against these kind of attacks. Keep them safe in a private online community and although you can’t be with them at all times, you can provide the information they need to make good, conscious decisions on their Internet site usage.
