--- title: "Daily Buzz: A Social Media Security Guide" id: "49761" type: "post" slug: "daily-buzz-a-social-media-security-guide" published_at: "2020-04-03T21:39:01+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-17T03:14:50+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2020/04/03/daily-buzz-a-social-media-security-guide/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2020/04/03/daily-buzz-a-social-media-security-guide.md" excerpt: "How to protect your organization and its brand image from cyberattacks. Also: Figuring out the appropriate length of your next piece of content." taxonomy_category: - "Marketing / Communications" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "best practices" - "biosecurity" - "Social Media" - "Technology" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "C-Level" - "Director" - "Manager" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Daily Buzz: A Social Media Security Guide As cyberthreats evolve, it’s important to stay on top of security best practices. And keeping social media accounts safe is as important as protecting other arms of your organization. “Social media security risks for businesses and organizations can’t be taken lightly,” [says John Colburn (opens in a new tab)](https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-security/) of Sprout Social. “A brand’s online presence is deeply connected to its reputation—a breach can damage customers’ confidence and put company information at risk.” To protect your accounts, start with the basics. Colburn says strong passwords are the first line of defense, so your organization should set high standards for gatekeepers to follow when creating new ones. “The National Institute of Standards and Technology, for example, requires federal agencies to use passwords that are at least 8 characters long but goes on to show that password length is most important. We would go a step further and recommend a passphrase that is at least 12-18 characters.” You can take password security to another level with two-factor authentication or multi-factor authentication, which require additional pieces of evidence from users to grant access to accounts. “This prevents attackers from accessing accounts with just a password. If someone tries to sign in from an unrecognized device, for example, they might be required to enter a one-time code from an approved mobile device and authenticator application,” Colburn says. Establishing a social media policy can also help employees understand how to handle the use of official accounts. ### To Elaborate or Not to Elaborate > .[@millanda (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/millanda?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > shares questions we should consider to help determine whether your topic should go long. [#contentmarketing (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/contentmarketing?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [https://t.co/0EzAFc2Pa6 (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/0EzAFc2Pa6) > [pic.twitter.com/wIACN5ejo7 (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/wIACN5ejo7) > > — Content Marketing Institute (@CMIContent) [April 3, 2020 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/CMIContent/status/1245924062284611584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Want to create a piece of long-form content?** You might have a lot to say, but not every topic or idea should be thousands of words, [argues Amanda Milligan (opens in a new tab)](https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2020/04/long-form-content/?_sm_x_cmir_edt_tsnr_cmi_x_sclttw-cmiblog) , the marketing director at Fractl, on the Content Marketing Institute blog. When deciding if a piece should be long form, keep the reader in mind, Milligan suggests. “Why is someone choosing to look for an article about this topic? Put yourself in the mind of the reader and figure out what they want to learn from reading your content,” she says. “Keyword research is such an important component at this stage of consideration.” ### Other Links of Note **Is this the right time to give your organization a deep clean?** A recent post from Fionta [offers 13 ways (opens in a new tab)](https://fionta.com/news/does-it-bring-you-joy-13-ways-nonprofits-can-declutter-and-reset-for-spring/) your nonprofit can declutter this spring. **National Volunteer Week is coming up.** Your Membership [shares three tips (opens in a new tab)](https://www.yourmembership.com/blog/3-tips-for-national-volunteer-week-2/) to make it a successful one. **Not sure what collaboration tools to use?** [CMSWire’s Dom Nicastro (opens in a new tab)](https://www.cmswire.com/digital-workplace/collaboration-tools-how-microsoft-teams-slack-workplace-from-facebook-stack-up/) looks at how the most popular programs stack up. (JuSun/iStock/Getty Images Plus) [Michael Hickey](https://associationsnow.com/author/michael-hickey/) Michael Hickey is a contributor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/michael-hickey/) Tags: [#best practices](https://associationsnow.com/tag/best-practices/) [#biosecurity](https://associationsnow.com/tag/biosecurity/) [#Social Media](https://associationsnow.com/tag/social-media/) [#Technology](https://associationsnow.com/tag/technology/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoDavid Nour shares some social networking best practicesMarch 5, 2009](https://associationsnow.com/2009/03/05/david-nour-shares-some-social-networking-best-practices/) - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Tech Stack: How AI Is Changing the Association PlaybookOctober 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/29/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-tech-stack-how-ai-is-changing-the-association-playbook/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: More Than Marketing: The Power of Strategic CommunicationsJuly 30, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/07/30/associations-now-presents-more-than-marketing-the-power-of-strategic-communications/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: Why Slower Marketing Can Drive Stronger Member Engagement (Episode 27)June 25, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/06/25/associations-now-presents-why-slower-marketing-can-drive-stronger-member-engagement-episode-27/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2020%2F04%2F03%2Fdaily-buzz-a-social-media-security-guide%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !