There is no denying that every online business needs to deal with the chances of a security breach at one point in time. This includes businesses specializing in digital marketing. Organizations and individuals working in different marketing positions are privy to sensitive information that most of the companies don’t want to share.
This is why it is imperative to uphold safety precautions as a part of everyday work. No matter the size of your company or your brand, if you are online, there is a chance of a security breach. Since digital marketing reaches a broader spectrum of audience, the chances of a security breach are higher.
In 2018, data breaches around the world cost multiple global companies an amount of about $3.86 million. In the USA alone, the average incident of data breach cost a company $7.9 million. This is exactly why cybersecurity is important.
What is Cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity is the process of securing the computers, networks, servers, and data from any sort of cyber-attack. Cybersecurity in digital marketing is also known as information security or information technology security.
Cybersecurity is applicable in multiple contexts. It includes network security, application security, information security, operational security, disaster recovery, and business continuity and end-user education.
Network Security: It is the process of securing the network from intruder attacks (targeted attack or opportunistic malware).
Application Security: This is the process to make sure that the application and software in your system are free of any threats. If an application gets compromised it could offer access to essential data.
Information Security: It is focused to protect the privacy and security of data during transit or storage.
Operational Security: Operational security is the process of protecting and handling data assets. It includes the permissions that the users have for accessing data and the other different procedures for storing or sharing data.
Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity: The disaster recovery policies are the techniques that a company uses for responding to any cybersecurity attacks. This procedure helps in restoring information and operations.
Business continuity is the backup plan that the company utilizes while operating without certain resources after a cybersecurity attack.
End-User Education: End-user education is to teach people not to install applications or software from unknown sources. Also, it teaches important practices like deleting suspicious emails and attachments.
Why is cybersecurity important in digital marketing?
Website protection: One of the primary reasons to opt for cybersecurity in digital marketing is to protect the website. When you are into social media marketing and online marketing, you need to protect the website. If the website is hacked, it will lead to financial loss, damage your brand reputation, and also result in regulatory fines.
IT Systems Protection: Every IT system of a business organization is a major target for the attackers. If they can get access to the local network or servers, the cyber-criminals can wreak havoc and impact your business severely.
Email Protection: Email systems are one of the most favorite tools for cyber-criminals. Most of the malware is distributed through emails. Did you know that 1 out of 130 emails contain malware? 67% of all the malware is distributed globally through emails.
Social Media protection: Cybersecurity is important for social media marketing. A lot of social media accounts get hacked despite the security improvements in multiple platforms. It can create serious damage to the online reputation of your brand.
The top 5 beneficial aspects of cybersecurity in digital marketing
Better Business Reputation: A single breach in data can cause major damage to your company. It can affect your clients and your business. The worst scenario is, it hampers your brand reputation.
Every client/customer wants you to have their best interest in mind. With strong cybersecurity, you can demonstrate that you are prioritizing your customers by offering information and data security. Thus, it assures your customers with peace of mind and increases business stability.
Increases revenue: Another important aspect of cybersecurity is it helps in increasing revenue. In the case of data breaches, a lot of times, lawsuits are filed against a company that leads to the payment of hefty fines. The bad publicity causes customers to shun your company.
Certain cyber-attacks can also shut down your website and prevent potential customers from making online purchases. It is true that the cybersecurity management strategy needs you to spend a good amount of money on the cybersecurity team. Rest assured that this investment is with every penny.
Competitive Edge: With a proficient cybersecurity team in place, you can reduce the potential risks of unexpected losses. Along with protecting your customer and employee data, cybersecurity measures also secure the proprietary information. This can offer you a competitive edge.
Proper cybersecurity management includes creating strong passwords and sharing them with the right employees. It also ensures that private business data is not leaked to other competitors.
Better staff engagement: While investing in cybersecurity, you don’t do it for the clients, but it is also for the employees. The employees are the most important assets of any organization. When employees feel that they are secure, it boosts their morale and confidence.
An organization needs to have a well-defined cybersecurity strategy to secure their employees’ sensitive information. This helps the company to earn their trust. The information can include address, DOB, important documents, social security numbers, and more.
Enhanced IT Support: With a better cybersecurity management plan, you will have a better disaster recovery strategy. Thus, instead of working on a spontaneous plan after a crisis, your organization will be prepared with a disaster recovery plan ensuring smooth operations.
A better cybersecurity plan also creates better work relationships and less stress in teams. This is important for the success of a social media marketing and digital marketing team.
The impact of a proper cybersecurity plan on digital marketing is unquestionable. Not only does it prevent attacks, but also it makes the employees feel secure. Do you have a proper cybersecurity management plan for your organization?
At Skyram Technologies, we have got a team of certified cybersecurity professionals that ensure optimal safety from all sorts of cyber threats. Get in touch with us here.
For more such informative blogs, check out our blogs section here.
