Digital marketing is a growing industry. Since it is online-focused, it is reliant on other information systems. This means that digital marketing has a high risk for cyber attacks.
Individuals working in digital marketing face considerable cybersecurity risks. If your system gets hacked, you may face downtime, financial fraud, and data breaches. These are a few of the reasons why cybersecurity is so vital in today’s digital market.
What Is Needed to Prevent Cyber Attacks?
It is impossible to protect your digital marketing company from cyber-attacks 100 percent of the time. The goal for digital marketing companies in Toronto is to minimize their attack surface and protect themselves as much as possible from cyber attacks.
If a cyber-attack does happen, having the proper cybersecurity in place will allow your organization to respond promptly, thereby mitigating the effects of the attack. Unfortunately, some organizations in Toronto do not have the proper cybersecurity in place. Hence, cybercriminals can penetrate their system and live in the system for many months without being identified.
Cybersecurity is vital for all industries. However, digital marketing firms in Toronto face unique threats since they directly interface with customers and access their financial information. This means that digital marketing companies need to put forth extra efforts to protect themselves from public relations disasters, loss of reputation, loss of customers, and even needing to close down their business.
The Importance of Protecting Your Website
The key to protecting your digital marketing company is protecting your website. If your website is poorly configured, it is an easy target for cybercriminals. Once they breach your website, they can damage your reputation and cause you financial heartache. If they are able to access customer’s information, you may end up paying expensive regulatory fines.
Even if the attack’s impact is not so drastic, a small attack can still slow down your website’s response time. It can make it difficult for legitimate customers to access all of or a particular part of your website. These types of attacks are called denial of service attacks. They could cause legitimate customers to go to a competitor whose site is working properly. This is something you do not want to have happen ever.
How Can You Protect Your Digital Marketing Website?
It is easy to point out all of the potential risks. But the question is, what can you do to protect your digital marketing website?
A lot of it has to do with simple cybersecurity hygiene. This means doing things like keeping your plug-ins and content management systems updated. These updates are so important because they improve security measures. When a hacker finds a vulnerability, plug-in developers or software developers rush to address the said threat.
You may look for managed IT support in Toronto. Organizations that offer managed IT support can help you understand CIAM, IGA, and two-factor authentication. All these things minimize the chances of hacking by strengthening your security.
Your customers must trust you to store and interact with their data. They need to know that when they visit your website, they are safe. One key to doing this is installing a digital certificate on your website, like an SSL certificate. This protects information that is received and sent from unauthorized access. When your customers see that you have an SSL certificate, they trust your site, improving your search engine rankings.
Protecting Yourself on Social Media
As a digital marketer, you know how powerful social media is. Unfortunately, people forget that cybersecurity is important when managing their own social media accounts.
Many social media providers have gone the extra mile to improve their security standards. Still, social media accounts are being hacked every single day. If your social media account is hacked, the impact on your brand’s reputation could be catastrophic. You need to protect your social media account in the same way you protect your email or website. Password security is a must. Limit access to social media credentials only to those who genuinely need it.
Conclusion
Cybersecurity attacks against online businesses, like digital marketing companies, are only going to increase. Ransomware seems to be the tool of choice for many hackers. Protect your vital assets using strong passwords and good cybersecurity hygiene. This way, both you and your customers will be safe.
