Cyber Security in Digital Marketing
The digital marketing industry is growing at an astounding rate. Today, most businesses are choosing to focus their marketing strategies on the online world to create awareness and grow their brands. The data that is obtained and stored online for accessibility to marketers has exceptional value. In fact, data is key for any business to reach wider target markets and to explore untapped markets. This data has become vitally important in the digital market industry as it is a fundamental element that can contribute to the success of marketing strategies. To protect this sensitive information, digital marketing companies must heighten their cyber security presence to strike down cyber threats.
Cyber Security in Digital Marketing
What is Cyber Security?
Cyber security is a practice that uses sophisticated technologies, processes, and controls to protect programs, computer networks, as well as data and devices from cyber-attacks. The goal of cyber security is to prevent cyber-attacks from occurring on networks and systems by unauthorized individuals and/or organizations. These individuals or organizations have the skillset to hack into an individual’s or business’ platforms and hijack accounts. Therefore, it is important for marketers and small businesses to implement security systems that will prevent them and their clients from becoming a victim of these attacks.
Main Cyber Security Threats for Marketers in the Digital World
Email is the oldest form of communication for marketers in the online space. However, it is also the most dangerous. Over 85 percent of cyber hacks begin with an email. If there is no encryption, and there are emails being shared between employees in a company, any sensitive data that relates to the business is available for hackers to obtain. Another area of concern with emails is phishing. Phishing is a term for a situation in which hackers pose as consumers and send emails to marketing teams with an insecure link. Once the team member clicks the link, it provides access to professional hackers who then steal the information they want.
Malware
Similar to email phishing, malware is what hackers use to access critical infrastructure. A hacker may use malware when communicating with marketers. In fact, they will mask the malware as random communication that will interest them. It is vital that marketers are aware of malware phishing. Therefore, marketers need to be careful about which communications they open, and which links they click on. Malware includes spyware, which can record things like passwords. It also includes ransomware which hackers use to encrypt a site and then demand a ransom to be paid for it to be decrypted.
Web Host Domains
Hackers can also attack your company or clients by using various techniques to create domain-level faults in the security of your website host. The more users that have access to your website, the greater the chances of these attacks. Therefore, the domain needs to be constantly monitored and protected from cyber-attacks. As one of the most dominant content management systems in the world, WordPress has a large vulnerability to hackers. Therefore, developers must be careful when using plugins on a website.
Social Media
Social media can be a very effective form of digital marketing. However, it also increases your vulnerability to a cyber attack. Hackers can steal personal information and hijack social media accounts where they post materials that can damage a business or individual’s reputation. When hackers overrun a social account, they normally request payment in order for you to regain control over the account.
How to Prevent Cyber Attacks
The most common and effective way of preventing cyber-attacks is through the use of antivirus software. Oftentimes this software will require annual or monthly payments. Although antivirus software can be expensive, cyber-attacks can cost a business more in lost sales and reputational damage. Therefore, it is helpful to use the expertise of an Information Technology industry professional to help monitor your marketing platforms to identify and prevent cyber-attacks. After all, cyber security is a necessity and the cost of preventing attacks outweighs the risks of falling victim to a hacker’s exploitation.
Conclusion
All businesses are vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Therefore, it is critical that marketers implement a strategy for cyber security that is effective. In a business-to-business industry, having cyber security strategies in place reassures business owners that their sensitive information and data will be kept safe. Lastly, this can eliminate the stress of giving high levels of control of their platforms to a team of marketers.
Additional Information: Stay safe from cybersecurity threats – SBA.gov
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