Product, price, place, promotion…the “P’s” that every marketer will be familiar with.
But marketers need to get to grips with a new ‘P’ in order to future-proof not only a company’s marketing activity, but the company itself.
Protecting your company’s sales and marketing activity online – from Ecommerce transactions to invoicing – is critical in 2018 when cyber-attacks to businesses of all sizes are reported on a daily basis.
It can seem like an insurmountable task for marketers, and one best left to the IT team – but there are simple steps that every marketer can take to protect your company and its customers, according to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC):
Download software updates
You may be tempted to delete the software update reminders that pop up when you’re in the middle of a task – but those software updates contain vital security upgrades which help keep your devices secure. Next time the update reminder fills your screen, afford yourself five minutes, click ‘OK’ and put the kettle on while you wait for your devices to update.
Back up your data
At ATTAIN, we are passionate about the lifeblood of any business – data – and keeping it safe, secure and up to date through our data services.
From customer details, quotes, orders and payment details, customer data can be backed up on a separate device – for example, a hard drive or USB stick. Even better, consider investing in your ‘cloud storage’ – where an IT provider will store your data at a location separate from your business.
Don’t get caught out by phishing attacks
Whatever your business, however big or small it is, you will receive phishing attacks at some point. In a typical attack, scammers send fake emails to thousands of email accounts, asking for sensitive information such as bank details. These deceptive emails are getting harder to spot, as attackers use your company’s ‘digital footprint’ (information shared on your website and social media accounts, for example) to create convincing emails.
Reduce the likelihood of staff falling for a phishing email by making sure staff know the signs of a traditional attack, by checking out this guidance courtesy of NCSC.
Not sure where to start when it comes to maintaining and protecting your company’s data?
Download our free data audit and data cleanse guides from the ATTAIN library, or get in touch for a chat with our Data Services team.
