So, is it possible for an enterprise to exploit the advantages without being damaged by the risks?

No public site can be made airtight. But Wisniewski says it is possible to minimize risks, by "educating employees on appropriate use of social media and allowing it on your network where you have some ability to monitor if sensitive company information is being shared inappropriately."

Herold agrees, saying that "with millions of apps being used by the public to stay in touch with companies, completely cutting off access is simply not an option."

Given that reality, she said, "More companies are allowing certain groups of workers, or all workers, access with mitigating controls -- tools such as data leak protection (DLP), encryption, heuristic malware detection, intruder prevention and detection tools."