A digital marketer is a single role on paper. Yet, few professions need a skill set that is broad and varied to accomplish their goals. The more versed you are in both marketing and adjacent topics, the more opportunities will come knocking your way!
Are you already a competent digital marketer but unsure how to expand your horizons? The fundamentals of cybersecurity are an easy first choice since few skills turn one quicker from a potential liability into one of the strongest links in any marketing team. Why should you master cybersecurity? How should you go about it? Find all the answers out here!
Why Do Digital Marketers Need A Working Understanding Of Cybersecurity?
Data is central to everything digital marketers do. Sensitive data such as customers’ personal and financial information, past and ongoing marketing campaigns, your company’s proprietary information, and third-party account details are all examples of data you have a responsibility to protect.
Not doing so can have severe consequences. Data breaches are costly, but monetary loss is just the part of the outcome that’s easiest to quantify. Exposing confidential customer and partner records erodes reputation and trust, often to unrecoverable levels. Moreover, not taking proper cybersecurity measures may put you in violation of laws like the GDPR or CCPA and a growing number of industry standards designed to safeguard data.
What Cybersecurity Best Practices Should You Follow?
While the consequences of not doing so can be serious, following cybersecurity best practices is straightforward and won’t impact your effectiveness as a marketer. Here’s a primer on what you should be doing.
Keep Operating Systems And Installed Tools Updated
While any online tools you use receive automatic updates, you’ll want to check that the same is true for the operating systems and software on your devices. Not running the latest versions opens you up to known security exploits and makes it easier to infect your devices with malware.
Take Password Security Seriously
Few professionals match digital marketers when it comes to the sheer number of tools they have to juggle daily. All these tools need accounts, which can become your Achilles’ heel if you don’t consider secure password practices.
It’s best to have a trustworthy password manager take this task over for you. They’ll instantly generate a unique and complex password for all your accounts, so breaching one won’t affect others. Whether you are using iOS or Windows, a password manager simplifies secure password sharing with coworkers and lets you access stored credentials from different devices.
Practice Secure File Storage And Backup
You likely need unhindered access to presentation materials, ad mockups, or marketing analytics reports, whichever place or device you’re working from. Back such and any other vital data up using secure cloud storage. This ensures it’s encrypted, has redundancies, and is easy to get to. You can also set up different access levels and let team members view or download files based on their permissions.
Apply Two-Factor Authentication To Crucial Accounts
Being diligent with password security isn’t a guarantee of safety. After all, you can do everything right and still become the victim of a data breach due to a third party’s poor cyber defenses. Two-factor authentication is a real lifesaver in such situations. It prevents accounts from being taken over if the attacker knows your password by introducing a second code you enter whenever there’s a login attempt from an unknown source.
Use A Firewall
Firewalls are essential for safeguarding your company network. They can identify malicious websites and restrict access to them to prevent infection. They also prevent unsanctioned outside access to local databases and other information storage. A firewall can segment parts of your network that are responsible for digital marketing activities, making them harder to breach. Finally, firewalls offer excellent DDoS protection, ensuring normal operations during otherwise crippling attacks.
Or A VPN
Firewalls excel at protecting centralized networks, but they’re of limited use when you’re accessing company resources from outside. VPNs let digital marketers who work from home or in remote offices enjoy the same level of protected access, thanks to state-of-the-art encryption. The tunnels that form around a VPN-protected connection prevent internet activity tracking and man-in-the-middle attacks, allowing you to do your job from anywhere without wondering about security risks.
When it comes to finding the best provider, always do your research thoroughly. To opt for VPNs that will suit your team and needs, check user reviews and Reddit’s VPN comparison table.
Be Mindful Of Social Engineering Attacks
The easiest way to compromise a system is to betray the trust of a human that uses it. You’re likely aware of and know how to recognize phishing. Still, cybercriminals use a variety of social engineering strategies to get you to give up login details or other sensitive information.
They may pretend to be successful influencers interested in collaborating or offer cutting-edge marketing tools in exchange for confidential information. Either way, vigilance and staying on top of the latest cybersecurity threats will help you spot and avoid such attempts.
Conclusion
A talented digital marketer can drum up hype for an otherwise mundane product or bring tarnished reputations back to a mirror polish. If they’re also aware of and actively enforce the best cybersecurity practices, they’re a company asset that’s hard to replace. Practice & expand what you’ve learned in this article to make yourself indispensable.