What Marketers Need to Know About Information Security
Marketing leaders will need to ensure they are aware and follow the latest information security for their organizations to prevent cybersecurity breaches such as social engineering, phishing, password vulnerabilities, etc., but also to be aware and comply to the ever-growing and changing compliance regulations that protects user data and privacy.
Here are some core awareness points that can help streamline your information security training.
What is Information Security?
It’s the practice of protecting information by avoiding the risks that could expose it to attack attempts. For example, identifying a fraudulent email before clicking on anything in it, and reporting it.
Cybersecurity threats from the internet are methods that cybercriminals use to attempt to gain access to your organizational or personal information. They include attack methods such as viruses, ransomware, phishing, Trojans, spyware, and more.
Top 5 ways marketers can mitigate information security threats
Protect your internet access
Be as careful using public wifi as you are using public washrooms. You are sharing open networks so there could be causes for concerns. Make sure you are connecting to the correct public wifi. Wifi names could fraudulent. Be careful surfing personal websites like banks. Anyone could possible scan the data transferred on that public wifi. Use a VPN will greatly increase your privacy and security while on a shared wifi. The VPN encrypts your data before the public wifi sees it. The site sees the VPN server as the source of your data so no one knows where you are from.
Working remotely can be a great perk. But you’ll need to be extra careful with the internet access and what you share on your screen. Limit your screen sharing exposure. If you’re attending online webinars, check the privacy policy first to ensure your data is not going to be sold or shared.
Safeguard your email from phishing, spam, or attachments
- Someone that has reached out to you and asks you to verify your account information
- Someone asking for your password
- Someone using urgency or pressuring you into action quickly
Fortify accounts with strong passwords
Oldie but a goodie. Don’t write down your passwords on notes and leave them around your desk and computer. Don’t use simple passwords. And don’t use personal information in your passwords. When it comes to password complexity, a typical person uses a core password and slightly adjusts them for different websites. Be sure you use completely unique passwords on each website.
Password hygiene is important and it’s best to come up with some phrase from a movie quote, song, etc., and take the first letter of each word to make your password. If you need to share a password with a family member, use an encrypted messaging service that can also delete messages. Setup Two Factor Authentication (2FA) or Multi-Factor Authenticator (MFA).
Marketing-Specific Vectors
Marketers are high-value targets because they hold the keys to the kingdom: social accounts, ad budgets, and customer lists.
- Pixel Hijacking: Ensure your GTM container is locked down. A compromised tag manager can inject malware into your site.
- CSV Exports: We love exporting data. But leaving a CSV of “All Leads” in your Downloads folder is a massive risk. Delete data after you use it.
- 3rd Party Access: Audit who has access to your Facebook Business Manager and Google Ads account quarterly. Remove agencies and employees who have moved on.
