By Bill Brenner
June 30, 2009 01:05 PM ET

Admit it: You are currently addicted to social networking. Your drug of choice might be Facebook or Twitter, or maybe Myspace or LinkedIn. Some of you are using all of the above, and using them hard, even IT security practitioners who know better.

While it's impossible to escape every social networking threat out there, there are steps one can take to significantly reduce the risks. CSOonline recently checked in with dozens of IT security professionals (ironically, using more than one social networking platform to do so) to pinpoint seven typical security mistakes people make; and how to avoid them.

Over-sharing company activities This is a sin of pride, when someone gets excited about something their company is working on and simply must tell everyone about it. Maybe you work for a drug company that is on the verge of developing the cure for cancer. Maybe the company is developing a new car that runs on curbside trash -- in other words, something everyone will want. (See also: Intellectual Property Security: Don't Lose Your Head)

Mixing personal with professional This sin is closely related to the first, but extends beyond the mere disclosure of company data. This is the case where someone uses a social network for both business and pleasure, most commonly on Facebook, where one's friends include business associates, family members and friends (see also: Slapped in the Facebook: Social Networking Dangers Exposed).

Continued @ Computer World