In today’s world of business, the Internet of Things (IoT) has enabled digital marketers to create unequivocally different experiences in bridging the gap between the physical and the digital words. The use of the internet has fundamentally enabled businesses to think outside the box and beyond the pure aspects of personalized messaging, to ensure that their products get to the right people, conveniently, and as efficiently as possible. As such, the use of social media marketing, content marketing, direct marketing, blogging, and pay per click has increased considerably, with the increase of connectivity and internet use amongst consumers.

This means that such digital marketers have had to store a lot of their data and business information online. However, with numerous hackers stalking the internet attacking vulnerable business sites, how well are you prepared to safeguard your data? Given how detrimental a security breach can be for your business, it makes perfect sense to protect your data with the right cybersecurity measures. Employing these three online security strategies may be exactly what your business needs! 

1. Use a VPN to Encrypt Your Network

Internet users are constantly warned about the dangers of using public, unsecured Wi-Fi networks. Developers are constantly improving their security measures when they develop IOT systems and this also applies to marketing too. But how bad is it really, especially for digital marketers? With such networks, the keyword for marketers should be ‘unsecured.’ When you are accessing a wireless network or a wireless access point (WAP), it isn’t characteristically unsafe. It becomes so if the network is encrypted, which means that such a network allows data movement across its airwaves without any form of security protection or data encoding. 

The same feature that makes it public Wi-Fi networks desirable for consumers, kame them desirable for hackers. Meaning that since there is no stable security feature and no authentication is required, hackers are presented with an amazing opportunity to get unfettered access to unsecured devices using the same network. Such access may result in a number of disadvantageous outcomes for your digital marketing campaign and business. For instance, the information sent from your instant messages, emails, social media platforms, and other data-transmission tools can be intercepted and put into illicit use. Another major risk comes when hackers extract login information and passwords from the intercepted data and use it to access your products or services fraudulently. 

As such, the use of a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a must when conducting your digital marketing activities, especially when you are using unsecured connections like Wi-Fi hotspots. VPN use encrypts your internet connection, making it difficult for hackers and cybercriminals to infiltrate your data and spy on you.

2. Secure Your Social Media Accounts 

For most digital marketers, social media platforms represent perfect hotspots for turning visitors into buyers and driving sales. It’s no surprise that these platforms are some of the most sensitive areas for digital marketers’ cybersecurity. However, most people are not aware of the importance of strongly securing their social media accounts. Others don’t know how to go about securing such platforms. 

You only have to think about the kind of damage you’d get when you lose your platform to hackers. Imagine having 200k followers on Facebook or Instagram today only to wake up tomorrow and find your account is no more. That is an audience of 200k people lost. The need for securing social networking accounts is compounded by the fact that most digital marketers have their payment information on such platforms, making them even more attractive for hackers. 

Securing your social media platforms will not only safeguard valuable data but will also protect your business from detrimental financial repercussions that may ensure in the case of hacking. One of the most effective ways of doing this is making use of two-factor verification to manage your logins. Platforms such as Facebook allows you to set up such a process, but there are available options such as Google Authenticator App that allows you to generate unique codes each time you want to access your accounts. Using strong and unique passwords and updating such passwords will also play a key role in securing your social media platforms. 

3. Ignore Spam 

Like social media, emails are vital channels that connect digital marketers to their target audience. Most digital marketers often receive emails from unknown parties with suspicious links and attachments that can expose them to dangerous hackers. While most email channels have spam-catchers that have become pretty good at catching the most egregious spams, marketers need to understand that phishing emails will always mimic their target consumers, associates, or trusted firms like banks.

By engaging or clicking with spam links and attachments, you will be in danger of installing malware such as ransomware, spyware, and viruses into your device. Depending on the type of malware you accidentally or unknowingly install in your device, your device can become unstable, it can encrypt your business documents and information and hold them for a ransom, or worse, it could make your emails and bank accounts vulnerable. 

Given this, avoid interacting with any suspicious emails, especially on email accounts, you use to conduct business transactions. You can avoid fishy emails by spotting suspicious links and attachments, avoiding requests for sensitive information, checking the subject for spam alarm, as well as using anti-virus and anti-spam software

Bottom-line 

Ever heard of data-stealing Trojans that could lift all your secure logins? Or, ransomware that could effectively brick your PC until you pay a ransom? Yes, data security breaches are real and everyday occurrences that could happen to digital marketers when they expect the least. Therefore, it is critical for marketers to adopt an amalgam of proven cybersecurity strategies to protect their data and that of their clients.