“If your company is not utilizing social media platforms for threat monitoring, chances are the security team is missing out on a huge aspect of the company’s overall threat landscape, particularly as threats are not just physical anymore,” says Kara Gronborg, Crisis 24 Analyst III supporting the National Football League (NFL).
While the practice of monitoring social media is not new, the need to monitor for threats on social platforms has picked up momentum due to recent tragedies. A March 2019 mass shooting at two Christchurch, New Zealand mosques was filmed and streamed in real time via Facebook. This tragic event not only sparked a wide discussion on the role that social media plays, but put a focus on the use of social media threat monitoring to preempt violence.