Cyber security is the protection of servers, networks, and data from malicious attacks. Cyber threats have increased globally as organizations experience a rise in data breaches.
According to research, up to 46 percent of organizations have suffered damage to their brand and reputation due to data breaches. Apart from that, there are the resources spent on PR and marketing that end up going down the drain.
Thus, marketers must become aware of how cybercrime can affect them. Investing in cyber security is the best way of protecting a business. The following are some of the steps marketing departments can take to reduce cyber attacks.
- Use of reliable antivirus
- Creating stronger passwords
- Investing in security and backup
- Staying up to date with all security systems
- Creating cyber security awareness among the staff
Having to spend money, time, and other resources on cyber security might seem like a burden. But, it’s an investment that’s sure to protect your business for a long time.
The Importance of Cyber Security in Marketing
Marketing departments are very important in organizations. They promote organizational values, convey ethos, and build the brand’s image. Organizations depend on their marketing teams to attract potential clients. Thus, all their activities can get destroyed with a single move by cybercriminals.
That’s the reason why organizations must dedicate some time to cyber security. This article will help you understand why cyber security is worth paying attention to. Enjoy the read!
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Improved Corporate and Institutional Security
Every marketing department today is worried about cyber attacks. The reason is that data breaches are costly in terms of monetary loss and loss of public image.
Proxy servers reduce the chances of data breaches. They add more layers of security between the organization’s servers and outside traffic. If you’ve heard of isp proxies, you certainly know the advantages they offer. Their features have seen them become the most sought-after in the proxy market.
In modern marketing, it’s important to understand how privacy contributes to the success of your efforts. It’s vital to have tools such as an isp proxy to protect the privacy of your activities. They face the internet and relay requests from devices outside the network. They act as a buffer.
Apart from the privacy they offer, isp proxies can encrypt your web requests to keep prying eyes from reading your transactions. You can also prevent known malware sites from access to their data through an isp proxy server.
For enhanced security, organizations can couple their isp proxy server with a VPN. This enables remote users to access the internet through the organization’s proxy.
Cybercriminals may be able to access your proxy. But, they’ll have a hard time reaching the server running the web software that stores your data. A proxy IP alone may not be able to keep away cybercriminals. But your department’s data will be less vulnerable.
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The Cost of the Breach
Failure to secure your online business systems exposes the organization to cyber attacks. These attacks can expose crucial information about the organization to the public. The private and confidential information could be details about business partners and clients. Organizations suffer huge financial losses when these attacks happen.
Cybercriminals tend to ask for a ransom so as not to leak the data. Other financial losses happen through lawsuits from concerned parties like clients. Many entrepreneurs have had to pay huge fines and even lost their businesses due to data breaches.
It’s important to put up improved measures to avoid the implications of cyberattacks.
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Everything is Online
Unlike before, you’ll rarely find bulky files and data storage cabinets in organizations. Everything gets done online. Because of this, marketers must improve their cyber security systems.
A lot of important data gets stored online including financial documents. Apart from selling online, marketing departments also conduct online marketing campaigns. With many activities happening online, cyber security must get enhanced. Any data breach could turn catastrophic.
Applying cyber security measures can include creating stronger passwords and having more antivirus. Failure to take such measures is like opening the door to cybercriminals.
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Hackers Keep Getting Better
For a long time, organizations used computers without security systems. But things took an ugly turn when cybercriminals began invading and stealing data through the internet.
Cybercriminals can invade your systems, interfere with or steal your data, and expose it to the world. There’s nothing as bad as having your business’s confidential documents leaked online. Cybercriminals do this because they can financially benefit from it. Moreover, they have nothing to lose from the data breach.
Marketers must ensure their cyber security systems are regularly updated. It blocks all unauthorized persons from accessing organizational data and software through the internet.
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Emails are a Hot Target
Opening email attachments can be risky. The receiver might think it’s an invoice or a brief from an agency. But unfortunately, cybercriminals know how you work.
Cybercriminals have become so tech-savvy and are capable of recreating an invoice that delivers malware. This places data in danger because malware encrypts the information in the computer. It then creeps out to the network.
Apart from the documents getting corrupted, the organization’s intellectual property is at risk.
Knowing which email to trust and which one not to trust is a burden. But we can’t live and work without receiving and opening email attachments, can we? Receiving emails from strangers is normal especially for marketers.
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Marketing Automation
Marketing departments usually work with data or IT departments within the organization. Oftentimes, if it’s a small organization, the head of marketing takes on the role of a data protection officer. Thus, marketers ought to ensure that all data follows legal procedures.
It’s required that marketing automation platforms be reputable. It’s also crucial that privacy policies on data collection get updated regularly. If data gets shared across other departments, you must know how it’s sourced. Find out who owns it and who looks after it.
Top managers should bring their marketers together and talk about their processes. You might be surprised about how different departments have different email marketing procedures. Create time and talk about their lead management, audience, and marketing strategy. Find out who sends what, when, and to whom.
Compliance with the rules and regulations is crucial to data protection.
Takeaway
Data breaches are not only damaging to an organization, but they can also mean an end to your operations. It’s estimated that data breaches cost small businesses about $38,000. That’s a lot of money especially if you’re barely making a profit.
Investing in cyber security systems can be expensive. This is especially so for businesses that are not well-established. But it’s worth the trouble now that you know how beneficial it is.
