Data Security Threats That Could Endanger Your Digital Marketing Agency…and How To Avoid Them
Data security is a global concern today, even in the marketing world. Since everyone and everything is online, the number of cybersecurity risks that companies face is growing every day.
If you run or are part of a marketing agency, it's important to understand what data security threats you're facing and what you can do to mitigate them before they become more of a problem. .
Why data security is important in marketing
It's tempting to treat data security as someone else's concern. Banks, technology companies, and other organizations that work with high-level data must always be on their guard.
But there are several reasons why even marketers shouldn't shy away from discussing cybersecurity.
First, it's the simple fact that cybercrime is a concern. According to cybersecurity brand Norton, there are 2,200 cyberattacks every day. The antivirus and antimalware company adds that when it comes to business, 88% of all organizations experience spear phishing attempts each year.
More importantly, marketers, and marketing agencies in particular, need to be aware of what data they have in-house. In addition to employee data, companies may store sensitive information about their customers such as payments, company logins, or other identifying information that they wish to keep secure.
Even marketing agencies are not immune to the growing shift to remote work in the post-pandemic world. As more and more agencies turn to remote operations, they are opening the door to a myriad of data security threats.
It's not that marketers are worried or asleep about what might happen. Instead, they must take proactive steps to protect their agency's data in the event of a cyberattack that is becoming increasingly likely at some point in the future.
Steps to ensure data security in your marketing agency
Here are five simple yet effective ways for marketers to increase data security in their business.
1. Strengthen your password.
One of the fastest ways to improve data security is to increase the number of passwords. Despite the threat of cybercrime, far too many people are ignoring their passwords, either by keeping them simple or reusing them across multiple accounts, or both.
Set minimum password requirements for your employee to ensure your agency's data is securely and effectively protected. Google recommends a few things for creating a strong password.
- The password must be unique.
- The password must not contain common words or personal information.
- Passwords should be long and easy to remember.
Your agency data is always more secure if your marketing team creates strong passwords.
2. Use multi-factor authentication.
In addition to a strong password, set up multi-factor authentication (MFA) if possible. IdP (Identity Provider) Octa explains that MFA simply combines a username and password with an extra layer of security.
For less critical areas, such as access to your company's workflow platforms, this added security can limit online access to hardware items such as employees' phones, or even their geographic location. . If the situation is more serious, the MFA may include biometrics such as fingerprints or an iris scan.
In any case, multi-factor authentication is an effective way to exponentially increase the security of employees logging in and out of corporate applications.
3. Protect your Wi-Fi network.
This is another simple yet easy step. If your agency has its own office, make sure the Wi-Fi is secure.
Cox Blue offers several recommendations for securing corporate Wi-Fi. Some of them are as simple as keeping your router in a physically secure place where no one can tamper with it. Others include updating your network name and password, setting up private and public hotspots, and updating everything (more on the latter below).
4. Check your third party provider.
As a marketing agency, you know the role third party providers can play. You are also aware of everything that can go wrong behind the scenes when dealing with contracting agencies or individuals.
With that in mind, don't expose your agency to data security threats by working with sketchy or questionable partners. So always take the time to consult with contractors, freelancers, or other outside organizations to make sure you can trust them for content, credentials, or other information you may interact with.
5. Teach digital hygiene.
And one last piece of advice: don’t forget to educate your marketers about digital hygiene at all times. It includes:
- bypass public Wi-Fi for important activities or sensitive data;
- take the time to quickly install updates and security patches;
- use of anti-virus programs and firewalls in home networks; and
- configure MFA if available.
With today's remote workforce working independently and across multiple locations, personal digital hygiene isn't just a good idea. It is necessary.
Marketing agencies may not be at the forefront of the ongoing fight against cybersecurity. However, they are at the forefront and must take adequate measures to protect their data from potential cyberattacks. After all, taking precautions to protect your data is better than cleaning up after a breach.
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