Updated 1/12/24

We all have a role to play in protecting our businesses from digital threats.

Considering that approximately six billion online accounts were exposed last year, it's not hard to see why this should be a top concern for all businesses, big or small.

All team members must work toward the common goal of preventing a data breach, including your marketing team.

We often assume that marketing leaders only get involved once a breach has happened, and a massive PR campaign is required to restore a business's reputation. However, they have a significant role to play when it comes to protecting your brand from digital threats in the first place.

Let's look at how marketing leaders can protect their brands from digital threats.

What are the leading digital threats businesses face today?

Before we look at how marketing leaders can protect your brand from digital threats, it's critical to know what they're protecting you from. Here are some of the biggest security threats businesses face:

Account takeover (ATO)

Account takeover happens when a criminal accesses someone's online account and changes their login credentials. You can read this guide for a more in-depth view of what account takeover (ATO) is and how these attacks happen.

Distributed denial of service (DDoS)

DDoS attacks aim to overwhelm the resources of a target system, causing it to stop functioning, which denies users access. These DDoS attackers tend to use these attacks in conjunction with other digital threats. Methods include TCP SYN flood attacks, smurf attacks, and botnets.

Advanced persistent threats (APT)

A group or individual who gains unauthorized access to a network and remains undiscovered for a long time can exfiltrate sensitive information. This is known as an APT attack. Indicators of such an incident include unusual data files, odd database activity, trojan horse malware, abnormal activity, and new account creation.

Phishing

Phishing happens when an attacker sends fraudulent correspondence that appears to come from a legitimate source. The user may believe the fake message and click on a link, which takes them to a malicious site. The victim hands over information because they think the website is legitimate.

Malware attacks

Hackers use many different methods to get malware into a user's device. Social engineering is the most common. Hackers may ask users to take a specific action, for example, opening an attachment or clicking a link. In other instances, vulnerabilities in operating systems or browsers are exploited. Once an attacker installs malware, it can cause the device to participate in a botnet, send confidential data to the attacker, and monitor user activity.

How marketing leaders can protect your brand from digital threats

Now that you have an understanding of some of the leading digital threats businesses face today, let's take a look at how marketing leaders can protect your brand from them:

Automate data subject right requests

There are different rules and regulations regarding consumer data and access, so the last thing you want to do is find yourself on the wrong side of the law because you failed to adhere to this.

Look for the best data subject access request software to automate this process. Not only will this leave your marketing team free to work on more pressing matters, but it'll ensure that everything runs smoothly and that the team handles requests efficiently.

From a security standpoint, verifying identities is one of the most vital benefits of using data subject access request software. This verification means you can instantly ensure that the requestor is the data subject or has the right to request the information.

Educate your marketing team

Another essential role of marketing leaders is to educate the rest of their marketing team about cybersecurity threats and how to act safely and securely.

You may be surprised to learn that most data breaches result from an insider attack. In most instances, this occurs because someone makes a mistake that allows a hacker access to your network, not because someone has acted maliciously.

Educating your employees can mitigate these attacks from happening. For example, ensure that your team knows how to create strong passwords, how often to change these passwords, and how to handle data online. Implementing thorough security awareness training is vital in equipping your marketing team with the knowledge and skills needed to identify and prevent potential cybersecurity threats, fostering a secure digital environment for your organization.

When addressing digital threats with your team, try not to overwhelm them with too much information at once. Cybersecurity is not something you should address only once. Staying up to date with the latest threats and offering continuing education opportunities around cybersecurity should be a priority.

These educational opportunities should convey why cybersecurity is critical and how it pertains to your marketing team's job and the business's success. Employees are much more likely to take something seriously when they understand the value of doing so.

Build a modern marketing infrastructure with security at the forefront

Technology is at the center of everything businesses do today, which certainly applies to marketing activities. Therefore, security must be front and center when developing your brand's marketing infrastructure.

Partner directly with the CSO or CIO to create a modern marketing infrastructure that addresses your chief security risks.

Collaborate with IT security teams to develop a clear and practical plan to protect your marketing infrastructure and discuss what steps to take if a breach happens.

If marketing leaders do not work with IT security teams, risk will increase, so collaboration and communication are both critical.

Insist vendors go through security audits

Next, marketing leaders must ensure that every vendor they work with undergoes a stringent security audit. Unfortunately, many business owners mistakenly believe that a breach resulting from a third-party vulnerability is not their fault, neglecting to acknowledge the due diligence one must complete before hiring vendors.

If a customer suffers due to a breach relating to your business, even if a vendor is to blame, your company shoulders the responsibility.

That's why ensuring every business you work with goes through a security audit is vital. As you outsource your business tasks, ask as many questions as possible about their ability to defend and protect your data. Discuss any potential entry points into your environment and the measures they use to protect them.

Develop an incident response plan should a breach happen

While the aim is to do everything in your power to ensure that you do not suffer from a data breach, you also need to be prepared in case such a situation arises.

Of course, your security team should handle this side of things, i.e., locating the vulnerability and containing the situation as quickly as possible.

However, the marketing team has a hugely important role: ensuring they present the situation to the public in a transparent yet calm manner.

Data breaches can erode trust, resulting in businesses losing many customers, which can be very difficult for long-term success.

The action that your marketing leaders take at this moment can truly make or break your business. The last thing you want is to be caught in a lie if your customers' accounts have been exploited. At the same time, you need to ensure there is no hysteria and that everyone feels reassured that you're doing everything possible to prevent the situation from worsening.

Stop digital threats from impacting your business with a strong effort from your marketing team

The threat of a data breach is real, no matter how big or small your company is. Plus, hackers are getting increasingly sophisticated, which is why it takes a combined effort to fight back and ensure your business doesn't become the next victim.

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