The digital world is constantly evolving. More organizations are using mobile, cloud and social media solutions as vessels to connect and communicate with their employees, customers and citizens. Social media platforms such as Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn provide real-time channels to communicate our news, views and also can be a critical tool for public safety used to inform the public.

Last week, the announcement of an attack on US Central Command (CentCom) social media accounts made headlines. According to CNBC, hackers took control of CentCom’s Twitter and YouTube accounts posting pro-ISIS messaging. When incorrect information is shared via compromised social media platforms, there is a huge likelihood of massive confusion, embarrassment and potential risk to public safety. With social media being an integral part of an organizations strategy, it is critical to ensure that risk management principles are used to secure these platforms.

It is no secret that the effectiveness of passwords alone is becoming obsolete. Last year after a number of high profile accounts were hacked, Twitter implemented two factor authentication for its users. While it is not yet clear the how the CentCom accounts were hacked or if they were protected by Twitter’s two factor authentication, the underlying question remains; is it safe to leave your organization’s security in the hands of non-security vendor? The first concern is the effectiveness of the vendors’ security implementation. Furthermore, when you consider the growing number of applications that you use and the need for separate two factor authentication of each platform (Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Google+, SalesForce, etc.), usability and control becomes a major issue.

Having a digital identity strategy that provides your users with a single, secure and convenient credential that can be used to guard access to both internal and external application platforms enables you to secure your organization with ease and confidence. That confidence can help your organization thrive in the ever expanding digital world.