The Effects Of Cybersecurity On Your Digital Marketing

Managing digital security well is critical in achieving success in digital marketing. If you don't know how destructive and devastating cybercriminals can be, the latest statistics will shock you. It is estimated that by 2021, the cybercrime damages in the world will rise to $6 trillion annually.

Just a single cyber-attack is enough to put many companies out of business, with the average cost of an incident being $200,000. The experts in the field say we can only expect these malicious attacks to increase in the future.

Hence, a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy is a must if you want your digital marketing efforts to succeed. Let's explore how taking proper action can safeguard your business from the harmful effects of cyber threats.

Don't forget to manage your WordPress updates

It is not uncommon for digital marketers to manage WordPress websites since they have become such a popular hosting platform. But when doing so, you need to be aware of the risks.

The site's outdated components make it vulnerable to attacks, and cybercriminals very frequently exploit them for their malicious strikes. So, running out-of-date versions of themes, plugins, or core site components is highly risky.

Software updates are designed to patch files identified as security loopholes, so it is strongly advised to update any software regularly. These updates can be annoying when you are in the middle of something, and postponing them may seem like a good idea for the moment, but try to avoid doing this. To make your life easier, and ensure the system is safe and up-to-date, enable automatic updates.

Cooperate with online security firms

Working with cybersecurity companies is one of the best ways for digital marketers to be in touch with security-related issues. Taking cybersecurity seriously is vital for the success of any digital marketing enterprise.

And consulting the experts in the cybersecurity industry will guarantee your marketing efforts are aligned with current safety standards.

They can inform you whether a particular marketing strategy comes with any potential risks and provide you with a competitive edge in a saturated market.

Place your website behind a web application firewall

Another way to protect your website is to put it behind a web application firewall (WAF). This is like a virtual wall that inspects all the traffic going to your pages and blocks anything suspicious.

This system is also designed to scan your site for malware and downtime regularly so that it can prevent denial-of-service attacks. Unfortunately, malicious malware like Ransomware is evolving, so traditional internet security solutions can't keep up with the rapidly changing malicious software.

If you are looking for all-around protection from all threats, then you'll greatly benefit from a hardware firewall solution. This is a simplified and fully integrated Next-Generation Firewall, plus a web application firewall.

This comprehensive firewall protection is easy to use. It protects its users from internal, external, existing, and future threats since it's updated regularly to keep your network safe from all kinds of cyber threats. The security level, ease of management for administration, operation, and maintenance sets apart this particular network security solution from its competitors.

Ensure the traffic on your website is encrypted

Your customers are your most important asset. Building trust with them is a great way to take your business to the next level. One of the ways to do so is to encrypt their traffic when they visit your website.

Installing a digital certificate on your website guarantees that all sessions between your site and your visitors are encrypted.

When a trusted authority on the web digitally signs your certificate, any information sent and received is protected, and more! It can improve your search engine rankings, and the visitors won't get the "this website is not secure" warning when wanting to check out your site.

The security of your internal IT Systems is essential too

Cybercriminals may target your IT systems. If they manage to gain access to your local network, your PCs, or servers, they may cause more harm than just stealing your data. They can create significant damage and seriously impact your business operations.

Take into account that the ransomware attacks are becoming more disruptive and are causing more downtime than ever before. On average, organizations take over 16 days to restore their networks.

And the number of these attacks is on the rise.

With these facts in mind, implementing a robust cybersecurity strategy within your company is essential.

Start with the Cyber Essentials Scheme that was developed by the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC). It can protect your organization against up to 80% of common cyber threats when adequately implemented.

Protect your social media accounts

These accounts often get overlooked, but they too can be hijacked, causing severe damage to your company. So, how can you protect your social media accounts?

Use complex, secure passwords, two-factor authentication, and restrict access to only those who need it.

Hackers often use social media networks to manipulate their targets. They pretend to be a reputable business or a person and trick people into handing them sensitive information like passwords. Sometimes they invite their targets to click a malicious link. This method is known as "social engineering".

Strengthening your business reputation

A flawed cybersecurity approach can massively damage your company's reputation. Actually, according to some studies, if you want to achieve commercial success, cybersecurity performance is crucial.

A single data breach or any other cybersecurity attack can have a lasting impact on your enterprise's reputation and cost you both clients and revenue. In today's technology-driven world, the organizations that are fully prepared to face cyber threats and protect all their digital assets are the ones that will thrive.

Tell us your story

Would you like to write for nichemarket just like Lauren has? Find out how to submit a guest post and when you're ready, you can contact us.

Are you looking to promote your business?

South African Business owners can create your free business listing on nichemarket. The more information you provide about your business, the easier it will be for your customers to find you online. Registering with nichemarket is easy; all you will need to do is head over to our sign up form and follow the instructions.

If you require a more detailed guide on how to create your profile or your listing, then we highly recommend you check out the following articles. 

• How to create a nichemarketer profile 
• How to create a nichemarket business listing 

Recommended reading

If you enjoyed this post and have a little extra time to dive deeper down the rabbit hole, why not check out the following posts on web security.

• Will Hetzner's Security Breach cost them the SA Business Awards?
• How Site Maintenance Improves Website Health?
• WordPress Blogs Defaced By Hackers
• Why You Should Upgrade Your Site To TLS 1.3
• How To Protect Yourself When Using Public WiFi
• 9 Simple WordPress Security Tricks to Keep Your Website Safe

Tags: Cybersecurity, Digital Marketing, Guest Post