Marketing and Cybersecurity: 5 Benefits of the Collaboration

It might not be immediately apparent, but marketing is the top aggregator of customer data. That’s why it’s so important to have a proper relationship between the department and IT. Anything that covers cybersecurity and protecting client information should take priority.

This article focuses on what marketing and IT have in common. We also cover how better communication between them can improve the cybersecurity of the whole company.

Marketing and Cybersecurity Crossroads

In recent years, with email marketing and customer data flowing from social media, the marketing department has been dealing with more personal information every day. They, along with sales specialists, are the contact point between vendors and partners.

Dealing with all that data requires extensive expertise in cybersecurity. Below are a few points where marketing appears at the frontline.

Loss of Data and Marketing Efforts

The marketing department uses a significant amount of customer information generated from the website, app usage patterns, and social media. When a data breach occurs, not only does the company lose trust with the customers but also the way to build it back.

Marketing is More Technology-Dependent Than Ever

Using data isn’t the only place we find the marketing department to cross with cybersecurity and IT. Marketing specialists use CRM software to capture and track customer data. These are very convenient platforms to hack, as they contain personal information and the whole relationship between the company and its users.

Marketers also input company data and asset information to various software for analysis and other purposes. These apps, if breached, can potentially create another layer of vulnerability for sensitive data.

Frontline During Cybersecurity Breaches

From the marketer’s perspective, they lose the ability to connect with the customers to diffuse the force majeure situation. The customer is also stripped from contact with a person in the company they used to trust, the marketer.

Clients aren’t the only group the marketing department keeps in touch with. Vendors and partners also depend on the outbound communication channels. They can be affected by any cybersecurity issue a company might face.

Marketing-Related Cyberthreats

As we acknowledge the close relationship between marketing and IT in today’s organizations, we can discuss what marketers should know. During any cyberattack, the hacker goes through the following steps:

• Research: The attacker learns about the company and the targets
• Infiltration: The hacker gains access to the infrastructure and files through malware or a bad link
• Exploitation: The bad actor takes the data they came for and searches for more vulnerabilities
• Exfiltration: The hacker downloads whatever they can put their hands-on

Below are a few ways marketers might be and put their communications in danger.

Infected Files or URLs

Marketing communication, and particularly emails, usually contain links or files. Affecting these with malware is relatively easy if the original files don’t go through security protocols. A good tip is to change the file name before uploading it to the website or putting it into a communication piece so the attacker can’t track it to the source.

Browser Hijacking

Most marketing communication happens in the browser. If it gets infected with unwanted software, the hacker can steal sensitive information during the session. Browser hijacking can also lead to identity theft, fake news dispersion, and persistent ads.

Website Malware or Denial of Service Attacks

Whether it’s malicious redirects, website defacements, or injected spam content, it hurts the marketing department’s efforts. In addition to this, DoS attacks restrict the website access for intended users, hindering the messages to reach them.

The 5 Benefits of Cybersecurity-Aware Marketing

The only way to protect your devices, people, and data is to develop a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy. In this section, you’ll find out why it’s essential to have marketers pay attention and take part in building it hand-in-hand with IT.

Higher Cybersecurity Awareness and Consumer Advocacy

If a company can communicate its cybersecurity goals to customers, it gains more trust by default. The marketing department has the most prominent part to play in achieving this result. In addition to having its own security covered, the department needs to raise awareness among customers.

Better Domain Protection and Message Deliverability

When it comes to email deliverability, marketing is the first department to get the hit. Thus, they should collaborate with IT to ensure proper domain protection. Setting up essential SPF, DKIM, and DMARC protocols will put your messages right in the inbox. No compromise. Regular DMARC, DKIM and  SPF record check will help you stay on top of all the authorized addresses that can send an email on your company’s behalf.

Regulation Compliance and Consumer Data Protection

Being transparent about what data you gather for service purposes and how you use it is a top concern now. Your clients, partners, and vendors need to be aware of your approach to data security.

Initiatives like General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union help companies, and especially marketers, deal with sensitive information in a regulated manner.

Another crucial aspect of working with consumer data is not to collect more than you need. Sure, having a lot of details about them might seem necessary for crafting personalized experiences. Still, you should know where to stop. Defining data collection goals and working through those are necessary for extra protection against data theft.

Sensitive Information Safety in Outbound Communications

As we mentioned above, marketers deal with vendor- and partner-related information, too. This means that a lack of collaboration around cybersecurity can put the company’s critical assets and sensitive data in danger.

Improving two-way communication can lead to a reputation boost for your company.

Coordinated Response During Breaches

Last but not least, the whole company will need the marketing department’s input when building a disaster management plan. Overcoming data breaches and force majeure situations will be easier if the communication channels and the response plan are in place. It should also be actionable and contain protocols for all involved parties.

Conclusion

Marketers need to be tech-savvy and aware of cybersecurity risks in the company. Strengthening the bond between marketing and IT departments can change

• How your company responds to threats
• How it deals with customer data
• How it carries out external communication during tough times.

The sooner you start building cybersecurity foundations, the more efficient your fight against threats will be.