There could even be a publicity benefit from using a Facebook group to attract wider interest in your company, Cavoukian says. Just be aware that you will be judged based on what you post to your page.

"If you expand your message around your company beyond what you offer to more of a lifestyle interest...that's a good strategy to try and attract individuals to be interested in your page," the privacy commissioner says.

The group feature even allows an organization to control what content is posted to the page, she notes. But don't have too heavy a hand when editing posted content, or users will be turned off from the community.

Ways for employees to keep safe

LinkedIn is a popular Web site in business circles for its more professional bent, as opposed to Facebook's consumer focus. But that doesn't mean LinkedIn users are any safer from having their personal data lifted by fraudsters.

Users should be selective about who they add to their network on LinkedIn and only add people they know in real life, says Krista Canfield, public relations manager at LinkedIn. After all, it's not a popularity contest.

"Networking is more of a quality game than it is a numbers game," she says. "The people that will help you secure a job, find a great client, give you a recommendation for a potential employee are [those] that you truly know and have the best working relationships with."

Users should be aware that spammers are migrating to social networking sites more often, she adds. Try sending a contact to someone you've never met in person -- instead of an invitation to connect -- as a less obtrusive way to reach out.

Cavoukian's office has partnered with Facebook to produce user educational materials such as a tip sheet, and a new video that will be released this Fall. Users need to think about privacy settings on their profiles, she says.

"Most people don't know that you can lock down your privacy on Facebook if you want to. Facebook has very strong privacy measures, but most people don't know about them."

Remember prospective employers are now using Facebook to investigate potential recruits, Cavoukian adds. It is best to be sparing with the information offered rather than uploading your life's story.