The problems of data security in digital marketing

Content Management Systems

Content Management Systems (or CMS for short) are a brilliant tool for marketers. Unfortunately, they’re also a prime target for cyberattacks. The more plugins or add-ons your CMS has, the worse it is. WordPress, for instance, is so powerful because of its ecosystem of plugins for features like SEO and A/B testing. But every one of those plugins has its own security risks.
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If there's a security hole in a plugin that hasn't been updated for years - or a hole has been introduced by a new update - hackers could get access to every site using that plugin. Addressing this will involve you or your IT team being very deliberate about updates. You can't let plugins go without an update for too long, as they’ll lose functionality. But when any update could introduce a flaw, it's wise to hold off for an agreed-upon period before pushing updates to your critical systems.
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In any case, the marketing team should be reviewing security and event management tools to monitor what's happening in their system. This means if there is some suspicious activity, the incident can be traced to one specific tool or plugin that can be removed as quickly as possible.
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Additionally, plugins or third-party services you're not actively using should be deleted. By doing this, you'll be able to reduce your "attack surface": the number of points hackers could attack you at.
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Like anything guarded with a password, CMSs are susceptible to "brute force" attacks, where hackers will simply have a computer guess the password thousands of times a second. When a malicious or hijacked plugin detects a password field, it's quite easy for hackers to apply pressure to that point.
Best-practices password procedures should be used everywhere in your computer network, even on seemingly trivial points like the wifi-connected printer. You'll have been told that passwords should have letters, numbers, and symbols, but a good password is useless if it leaks.
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Because they’re the ones using CMS systems, marketers need to be aware of these risks. It's essential to defend yourself by creating a plan with your IT team that addresses how to react to cyberattacks on your CMS systems. This means if something does go wrong, you’ll be prepared to act when time is of the essence. Whether that’s keeping an eye on automated software testing tools, or restricting admin access to certain software, preparation is important.
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