Are you a digital marketer concerned about the rise in the number of cyber-attacks? As the digital space continues to expand, it comes with numerous issues, including cybersecurity issues. In today’s digital space, ransomware is on the rise, and malware attacks have become all too common. These security threats pose a serious challenge to anyone trying to make a living online.
It is always beneficial to remain updated on the latest #cybersecurity threats and ways to secure your digital #marketing website.
Cybersecurity attacks can negatively impact the growth of any business. Cybersecurity is not just about protecting the business website but also protecting the privacy of your clients while on the site. This is why it is important for digital marketers.
By understanding different cybersecurity vulnerabilities common with digital marketing, you will be better placed to protect your business from unscrupulous groups or people.
How serious are cybersecurity threats?
When faced with a cybersecurity threat, a digital marketer stands to lose his/her website, digital channels, and important client data. All these are risks that can be disastrous to any digital marketing business. Apart from affecting the image of a digital company, cybersecurity attacks can also negatively impact the business finances. For instance, companies around the world spend $3.86 million annually to correct data breaches. US-based companies alone spend up to $8 million on data breaches, on average. Collaborating with a co-managed IT company can help safeguard your digital assets and prevent such costly breaches.
This is why it is important to carefully plan and execute your digital marketing strategy in a safe way. Collaborating with top cyber security companies can help safeguard your digital assets and prevent such costly breaches. This underscores the importance of carefully planning and executing your digital marketing strategy while prioritizing security.
5 cyber risks faced by digital marketers
CMS (Content Marketing Strategy)
Making use of the right content marketing strategy is crucial for the success of any digital marketing business. It is important to employ different digital channels to make your content marketing strategy a success, with your website as the backbone of the CMS.
While this is beneficial to digital marketing, content marketing can easily allow unauthorized access to your site.
Cybercriminals use content marketing strategies to launch malware on your site. This can significantly slow down the website.
CRM software
Every digital marketer requires decent CRM software. With reliable software, you are able to learn and understand your client base better, including their digital habits. You also learn how effective your marketing campaign is to your target audience. CRM software also automates numerous processes, which would otherwise be daunting to undertake.
DDoS attacks are very common with CRM software systems. Even applications such as Basecamp have fallen victim to security breaches, with the level of damage to a business ranging from mild to severe.
The purpose of CRM software is to collect customer data. This means that a cybersecurity threat would put your customers’ data at risk.
Email marketing
For most brands, emails still play a crucial role in their digital marketing business. Most leading brands understand the importance of email marketing and how effective it can be for digital marketing. Currently, email marketing has an ROI of $40 for every $1 invested. These numbers also mean that email marketing is one of the common targets for cybercriminals.
Phishing scams are the most common email marketing cyber threats.
Hackers pose as trusted parties and send emails to potential clients, usually luring them to click a malicious URL.
Compromised email access can be detrimental to a digital marketing business. It can cause IP address blocking, leading to your emails being marked as spam. It will also cost you the reputation of the company.
Social media
Data theft on social media platforms is the most common cybersecurity threat faced by digital marketers. Cybercriminals do this by either stealing confidential data or even through image theft.
In numerous cases, social media profiles are a liability for identity theft. Hackers can either commandeer profiles to spread malware, or extract personal information directly to re-construct identities for malicious purposes.
As more people use social media platforms as digital marketing strategies, there has been a rise in scandal cases involving social media platforms and data loss. Business payment data has a higher chance of being compromised on social media sites than on any other digital marketing platform.
Social media platforms make it easy for anyone to follow a digital marketing brand. With millions of fake profiles online, it is difficult for you to determine which profiles are real and which ones are not. Cybercriminals take advantage of this fact to gain access to your social media accounts and eventually to your site.
E-commerce
Potential security vulnerabilities in e-commerce are always presenting challenges to digital marketers. These security concerns limit digital growth and conversion opportunities.
Financial fraud and security flaws are the most common worries amongst consumers. This means that they are a barrier to the effectiveness of digital marketing strategies.
Without proper e-commerce security protocols, the business will experience poor customer acquisition, and there will be a slow down in business growth, which is the backbone of any digital marketing strategy.
5 tools for digital marketers to secure themselves
With so many avenues for attack, it is important to learn about the tools and services you can use to protect your digital marketing business from cybersecurity breaches.
Login Protect for Your WordPress Site
Login protection is crucial for any website, and particularly for WordPress sites, as the login page is often targeted by hackers seeking to gain unauthorized access to the site.
One way to enhance the security of your WordPress login page is by using a plugin like WP Login LockDown. WP Login LockDown is an effective tool that can help protect your site from brute force attacks by limiting the number of login attempts from a single IP address. It also allows you to whitelist trusted IP addresses and log failed login attempts, providing you with valuable insights into possible security threats.
WP Login LockDown is easy to install and use, and its free and premium versions allow you to choose the best option for your needs. By using WP Login LockDown, you can rest assured that your WordPress site is protected from unauthorized access, making it an essential tool for website security.
Web Authentication (WebAuthn) is a new passwordless authentication standard that uses public-key cryptography instead of passwords. It allows users to securely log in to websites using biometrics or security keys rather than typing passwords. WebAuthn aims to provide both enhanced security as well as convenience for users by eliminating the need to remember passwords.
SSL Certificate
Without SSL, your site users and customers are more likely to have their data stolen. Without encryption, the security of your website is jeopardized. SSL safeguards websites against phishing schemes, data breaches, and a variety of other risks. Finally, it creates a safe atmosphere for both visitors and site owners.
WP Force SSL allows you to redirect traffic from unsafe HTTP pages to secure HTTPS. And with WP Force SSL, you can achieve all of this and more without having to write any code. It has a lot of features and options, and it can meet everyone’s needs. Furthermore, one of the nicest aspects of the WP Force SSL plugin is its simplicity. It is designed to be simple and reliable for millions of users who may lack technical understanding.
This plugin will generate an SSL certificate for you and allow you to easily install it on your site. For this, you can utilize a free or premium SSL certificate. WP Force SSL also allows you to move your license between sites. To put it another way, if you deactivate your site but save your license, you can use it on another site. This and other information can be seen in the WP Force SSL Dashboard.
Furthermore, WP Force SSL will safely transport the content to a new page if you decide to relocate your website. And guess what? The plugin will do all of this without touching any code! It will also include an SSL certificate and any additional required features. The plugin performs real-time content checks, and website monitors are constantly looking for any errors that could jeopardize your site’s reputation.
Firewall
Every day, cybercriminals come up with sophisticated ways of hacking digital marketing platforms. It is important to have a strong firewall program in place. Many computers come pre-installed with software firewalls. A firewall works to block unauthorized access to your digital marketing system.
The program monitors your network traffic and connection attempts. It creates a barrier for any suspicious connection before passing it on to your computer or network. It is essential to update your firewall whenever there is a new security patch. This way, it becomes impossible for malicious programs to bypass your firewall.
With an updated firewall, your system will be able to detect even the most sophisticated malicious connection attempts.
PKI services
Many cybersecurity-savvy individuals associate PKI services with TLS or SSL encryption technologies for server communication and browser security. While SSL is important for internal networks and public sites, PKI can also solve other cybersecurity issues. This makes it important for any digital marketing business or any other online business.
Apart from server security, other ways PKI can be used for digital marketing include:
- Enabling multi-factor access control and authentication – this ensures that only approved machines, users, or devices can access and operate in your network.
- Encrypting email communications and authenticating sender identity – this can digitally sign and encrypt email digital marketing campaigns. This mitigates phishing by allowing email verification for recipients.
Anti-virus software
Most digital markers with little experience in cybersecurity assume that a firewall is the same as anti-virus software, which is not the truth. Both are programs that are required for the protection of your digital marketing business. You need to have a strong firewall and powerful anti-virus software if you are to keep your system secure.
An anti-virus program alerts you whenever there is a malware infection possibility.
Most anti-virus programs offer additional services such as email scanning for malicious links and attachments. Modern programs also undertake protective measures like initializing quarantine and removal of potential threats.
There are numerous anti-virus programs on the market. You are sure to find one that suits your digital marketing business needs.
Use a VPN
A VPN or virtual private network is an app that allows digital marketers to secure their data safely. Apart from offering data security, a VPN provides numerous benefits to digital marketing businesses.
When you download a VPN, it is possible to use a virtual IP address to replace your actual IP address that shows your geographical location. You can then gain insight into international markets by conducting localized keyword research easily.
If you use social media as one of your digital marketing strategies, using a hacker-grade VPN can be extremely beneficial. Apart from protecting your clients’ information, you can also change your virtual location to learn about the interests of your target audience and plan strategies accordingly.
Penetration tests
Even with all the other cybersecurity tools, it is crucial to perform penetration testing on your business security systems. A penetration test allows you to use the same techniques cybercriminals are likely to use to check the vulnerable points in your network.
With this test, you can simulate a cyberattack on your digital marketing website and see how your site’s security parameters respond.
The test can include password hacking, phishing, and even code injection. After the test, you will be able to implement upgrades and changes to your system to ensure such attacks cannot occur.
Key Takeaways
Digital marketers are facing numerous cybersecurity challenges. It is important for them to stay informed about the risks and follow the aforementioned best practices to safeguard their customers’ data and company reputation.
Conclusion
As hackers and cybercriminals continue to upgrade their cybercrime methods, digital marketers need to invest in services and tools that can protect their online business and clients. But it doesn’t hurt if they also invest in Instagram bots.
Learning about the latest cyber-attack vulnerability points in your work makes it easier for you to know how and where to upgrade your website security measures. Protecting your digital marketing business from the get-go can offer long-term benefits to your business.
