In order to see success in digital marketing, your business needs to manage digital security well. Here are the effects of cybersecurity on digital marketing.

By 2021, the world will lose a staggering $6 trillion to cybercrime damages annually. It’s a statistic that reveals just how destructive cybercrime is, especially to businesses of all types and sizes. Currently, the average cost of a cybercrime incident is $200,000, enough to put many companies out of business.

Unfortunately, cybercrime incidents will only increase in the future. Cyber attacks will continue to pose an unprecedented risk to businesses without a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy. 

In this comprehensive guide, we explain some of the top effects of cybersecurity on your business’ digital marketing strategy. We’ll also show you how taking proper action can safeguard you from the devastating effects of a data breach. More importantly, we’ll demonstrate how a robust cybersecurity strategy can lead to the success of your digital marketing efforts.

Read on to learn more.

What Is Cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity refers to the process of protecting computers, servers, networks, and data from cyber-attacks. Cybersecurity is also known as electronic information security or information technology security.

Cybersecurity applies to a variety of contexts. The term can be divided into several categories. We discuss six of them below:

Network Security 

Network security refers to the practice of securing computer networks from intruders. Intruders, in this case, refer to both targeted attackers and opportunistic malware.

Application Security 

The primary focus of application security is to keep software and your computer devices free of threats. When an application gets compromised, it could provide access to essential company data. That’s why security should always begin in the design stage before deploying the program or device.

Information Security 

Information security aims to protect the privacy and integrity of data, whether in transit or storage.

Operational Security 

Operational security refers to the process of protecting and handling data assets. It includes the permissions users have to access data and the different procedures used to store and share data.

Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity

Disaster recovery policies refer to the techniques a company uses to respond to cybersecurity incidents. These policies dictate how the company restores its information and operations to the same operating capacity as before the security incident.

Business continuity refers to the plan the company falls back on as it tries to operate without certain resources following a cybersecurity incident.

End-User Education 

End-user education focuses on people, who are the most unpredictable factor when it comes to cybersecurity. An employee can introduce malware into a secure system by overlooking good security practices. End-user education addresses these issues. It teaches such important practices as deleting suspicious email attachments.

Effects of Cyber Security to Your Business

Earlier, we mentioned that every company needs to take security seriously. A comprehensive security plan includes many things, from installing 0-10v dimming for your lighting plan to investing in a cyber-security strategy for your data. In this section, we focus on how cybersecurity helps your digital marketing plan.

1. Improved Business Reputation

A single data breach incident can cost your company both clients and profits. But worse than that, your reputation can suffer massively.

Your clients and customers expect you to have their best interests in mind at all times. That includes keeping their personal data secure. If you demonstrate that you’re proactively doing your best to prioritize customer data and information security, you stand a better chance of doing more business.

2. Increased Revenue

Data breaches usually lead to significant losses. Many times, lawsuits are filed against the company, and in the end, hefty fines paid. The bad publicity generated from a single data breach can make clients and customers shun your company. That inevitably affects your sales.

Certain cyber-attacks can also shut down an organization’s website. This can prevent potential customers from making online purchases. As you can see, lax cybersecurity can really be an expensive mistake. 

Certainly, investing in a cyber-security management strategy does require you to spend on a cyber-security team. You may also need to invest in top software solutions. However, this investment is well worth every dollar. The better the security measures you put in place, the more you reduce the potential risks of unexpected losses.

3. More Competitive Advantage

A comprehensive cybersecurity strategy typically encompasses every branch of your business. Besides protecting employee and customer data, your cybersecurity measures also protect the proprietary information that can give you an edge over your competition.

A proper cybersecurity management plan includes ensuring that you create strong passwords. It also means that you grant permission to the right employees. It strives to ensure that private business information does not get leaked to competitors. 

4. Enhanced Staff Engagement

When you invest in cybersecurity, you don’t just do it for your clients and shareholders. You also do it for your employees, who are your most valuable asset in business. And when employees know that their personal information is secure, it can greatly boost their confidence. 

A company needs to have a clearly defined cybersecurity plan to keep their employees’ sensitive information to earn their trust. That information includes social security numbers, addresses, dates of birth, and so on. 

5. Improved Overall IT Team Support

The last thing you want is to always react to a crisis because you didn’t have an established protocol. Implementing a well thought out cybersecurity plan ensures that your technology team is always prepared for anything. 

It also allows for better working relationships and less stress within your team. This is important for the success of your digital marketing efforts. 

Invest in Cyber Security to Boost Digital Marketing

The effects of cybersecurity on your online marketing plan are unquestionable. Firstly, you get to prevent attacks that could stall your business processes. You also get to boost customer and employee confidence. 

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