Digital Marketing and Data Security. Seemingly two different concepts, but, do you know how much reliant digital marketers are on data for their livelihood.
Metrics from Google Analytics and other dashboards help marketers keep a pulse on where their customers are going, what they are searching, how they are responding to marketing campaigns and so on.
In other words, Data Security is integral to the success of Digital Marketing. Without data security, Digital Marketing is deemed to fail in the long-term.
How can Digital Marketers shield themselves from the onslaught of cyber crime and its growing forms of attacks.
The simplest forms of website security comes in the form of an SSL Certificate such as Comodo Positive SSL.
An SSL certificate validates the website authenticity and prevents data being stolen while it is in transit from the web server to the user’s browser.
?
In addition to SSL certificates there are also other security measures that contribute to data security.
In this article, we discuss in detail how critical a factor Data Security is the success of Digital Marketing.
Prevents malware attacks
In 2016, malware attacks cost each Internet user an approximate $1,077. More than 34% Americans caved into ransomware attacks and their demands for extortion money to retrieve data. In this scenario, it is necessary for Digital Marketers to take precautionary measures to prevent malware attacks.
Such measures will help in ensuring that client data like content documents, case studies, white papers, corporate profiles and other marketing materials are kept safe and far away from the reach of malware attacks.
Ensuring WordPress Security
Almost a quarter of the Internet is built on WordPress. WP is hands down the most popular CMS which also makes it a sizeable target for hackers. Sadly, WordPress also has several security loopholes which are being fixed with each update.
Most Digital Marketers rely on WordPress to update blogs and websites. Ensuring WordPress security is key to keeping their hard work online and safe from being torn down by hackers. This can be ensured either with the help of WordPress security extensions which are available for a nominal cost.
Keeping Bots at Bay
Bots are artificial beings which are programmed to do specific tasks. If they are programmed by hackers, they perform malicious tasks like infiltrating networks and disrupting systems. There are also bots that hide in system files and sneak back information to hacker servers. Such data can potentially jeopardize the client relationships of digital marketers.
Another serious threat that marketers have to face from bot attacks is the spamming of online advertising. Digital Marketers rely heavily on link building and display advertisements to publicize their message. If that task if taken over by bots, they can impersonate the marketing agency and spread spammy messages which are often vulgar and unfit for public display. This causes serious issues for branding and the very purpose of marketing.
Marketers can fight back bots from hacking into their system by setting up CAPTCHA tests that only humans can pass. Advanced firewall systems like Amazon WAF also help in preventing infiltration attacks that come in the form of bots.
Securing Social Media Accounts
Unknown to many, social media account hijacking has been happening on a massive scale around the world. Facebook Messenger, Tweets, etc. have been largely used by hackers as carriers for malicious links.
Most often marketers fall prey to such hijacking by clicking on malicious links which look natural and totally unsuspecting. Once clicked, these links will collect social media login credentials from the user pretending to be social login applications. The naive user submits and becomes a prey to social media account hijacking. Once an account is lost it is almost impossible to retrieve it. Several global brands, including Nokia has burnt the brunt of social media accounts being hacked and compromised through this means.
Securing Customer Emails IDs
Email marketing is a strategy that every Digital Marketer lives by. Thousands of emails are sent to subscribers and emails collected through forms in websites. The content of the email is also carefully written to ensure that the mail does not end up in spam folder or in ‘Promotions’. However, all this effort can go down the drain with a single virus attack.
Data manipulation can reverse the content or the links inserted in the email which will lead to a chain reaction. Users who click on the email may possibly led to totally irrelevant websites. As a result, there is a serious chance of users unsubscribing from the emails or totally blacklisting the sender email ids. This can leave a negative impact on the entire marketing activity.
Payment Security
Ad campaigns on social media circles, search engine marketing all requires paying regular sums of money through online means. Wherever online payments happen, hackers are on their prowl. They sneak in through backdoor entries or devise some tricky way that will force users into giving away sensitive online payment information.
Can this situation be prevented? Of course yes. An Comodo SSL Certificates can help scramble the information that is being out by the user. Even if it is a credit card number, an OTP, online banking credentials or digital wallet login, everything can be secured by an encryption technique. Encryption ensures that hackers can never get the actual data in its truest form. Even if they manage to get a sizeable share of the data, it will be in scrambled form making it totally useless for any kind of cybercrime.
Bringing It All Together
Nobody is spared from cybercrime. It is growing at a vicious rate and cannot be stopped completely, but can only be sought safety from. For Digital Marketers who spent lion share of their waking hours working on the Internet, ensuring data security is a matter of prime importance. In what was written until now, we have explained why data security is important to digital marketers and how they can protect themselves from the ever-growing security threats.
Metrics from Google Analytics and other dashboards help marketers keep a pulse on where their customers are going, what they are searching, how they are responding to marketing campaigns and so on.
In other words, Data Security is integral to the success of Digital Marketing. Without data security, Digital Marketing is deemed to fail in the long-term.
How can Digital Marketers shield themselves from the onslaught of cyber crime and its growing forms of attacks.
The simplest forms of website security comes in the form of an SSL Certificate such as Comodo Positive SSL.
An SSL certificate validates the website authenticity and prevents data being stolen while it is in transit from the web server to the user’s browser.
?
In addition to SSL certificates there are also other security measures that contribute to data security.
In this article, we discuss in detail how critical a factor Data Security is the success of Digital Marketing.
Prevents malware attacks
In 2016, malware attacks cost each Internet user an approximate $1,077. More than 34% Americans caved into ransomware attacks and their demands for extortion money to retrieve data. In this scenario, it is necessary for Digital Marketers to take precautionary measures to prevent malware attacks.
Such measures will help in ensuring that client data like content documents, case studies, white papers, corporate profiles and other marketing materials are kept safe and far away from the reach of malware attacks.
Ensuring WordPress Security
Almost a quarter of the Internet is built on WordPress. WP is hands down the most popular CMS which also makes it a sizeable target for hackers. Sadly, WordPress also has several security loopholes which are being fixed with each update.
Most Digital Marketers rely on WordPress to update blogs and websites. Ensuring WordPress security is key to keeping their hard work online and safe from being torn down by hackers. This can be ensured either with the help of WordPress security extensions which are available for a nominal cost.
Keeping Bots at Bay
Bots are artificial beings which are programmed to do specific tasks. If they are programmed by hackers, they perform malicious tasks like infiltrating networks and disrupting systems. There are also bots that hide in system files and sneak back information to hacker servers. Such data can potentially jeopardize the client relationships of digital marketers.
Another serious threat that marketers have to face from bot attacks is the spamming of online advertising. Digital Marketers rely heavily on link building and display advertisements to publicize their message. If that task if taken over by bots, they can impersonate the marketing agency and spread spammy messages which are often vulgar and unfit for public display. This causes serious issues for branding and the very purpose of marketing.
Marketers can fight back bots from hacking into their system by setting up CAPTCHA tests that only humans can pass. Advanced firewall systems like Amazon WAF also help in preventing infiltration attacks that come in the form of bots.
Securing Social Media Accounts
Unknown to many, social media account hijacking has been happening on a massive scale around the world. Facebook Messenger, Tweets, etc. have been largely used by hackers as carriers for malicious links.
Most often marketers fall prey to such hijacking by clicking on malicious links which look natural and totally unsuspecting. Once clicked, these links will collect social media login credentials from the user pretending to be social login applications. The naive user submits and becomes a prey to social media account hijacking. Once an account is lost it is almost impossible to retrieve it. Several global brands, including Nokia has burnt the brunt of social media accounts being hacked and compromised through this means.
Securing Customer Emails IDs
Email marketing is a strategy that every Digital Marketer lives by. Thousands of emails are sent to subscribers and emails collected through forms in websites. The content of the email is also carefully written to ensure that the mail does not end up in spam folder or in ‘Promotions’. However, all this effort can go down the drain with a single virus attack.
Data manipulation can reverse the content or the links inserted in the email which will lead to a chain reaction. Users who click on the email may possibly led to totally irrelevant websites. As a result, there is a serious chance of users unsubscribing from the emails or totally blacklisting the sender email ids. This can leave a negative impact on the entire marketing activity.
Payment Security
Ad campaigns on social media circles, search engine marketing all requires paying regular sums of money through online means. Wherever online payments happen, hackers are on their prowl. They sneak in through backdoor entries or devise some tricky way that will force users into giving away sensitive online payment information.
Can this situation be prevented? Of course yes. An Comodo SSL Certificates can help scramble the information that is being out by the user. Even if it is a credit card number, an OTP, online banking credentials or digital wallet login, everything can be secured by an encryption technique. Encryption ensures that hackers can never get the actual data in its truest form. Even if they manage to get a sizeable share of the data, it will be in scrambled form making it totally useless for any kind of cybercrime.
Bringing It All Together
Nobody is spared from cybercrime. It is growing at a vicious rate and cannot be stopped completely, but can only be sought safety from. For Digital Marketers who spent lion share of their waking hours working on the Internet, ensuring data security is a matter of prime importance. In what was written until now, we have explained why data security is important to digital marketers and how they can protect themselves from the ever-growing security threats.