Marketers are exposed to more online threats than ever before. From data breaches to phishing attacks, the digital landscape can be treacherous. Security researchers discover new vulnerabilities daily, so you need security tools to work safely.
5 Security Tools Every Marketer Needs
Here are five essential security tools every marketer should consider:
Firewall
A firewall is like a guard that checks data coming in and going out, only allowing safe data based on set rules. So, understanding the importance of firewalls and using them to your advantage can help you safeguard your digital assets.
- When to use it: Always. There are too many ways to get infected, so protection is needed at all times.
VPN (Virtual Private Network)
A VPN encrypts your internet connection, ensuring that all data you send and receive is private and secure. You can benefit from the advantages of VPNs when accessing company data remotely or researching competitors without revealing your IP address.
When to use it:
- Always on public Wi-Fi to prevent snoopers from accessing your data.
- Whenever you need to analyze competitors or see content from other different markets.
- When you need more privacy for your professional or personal online activities and browsing.
Note: There’s also a specialized type of firewall, a VPN firewall, which combines the benefits of a VPN and a firewall, offering enhanced protection by ensuring only authorized VPN traffic passes through.
Anti-Phishing Tool
Phishing is among the most dangerous cyber threats for all professionals, including marketers. It’s prevalent, and hackers get more creative with their phishing techniques every day. Spotting the usual red flags, like bad spelling and urgent tone, is no longer enough.
Tools that find and stop attempts to get private information via phishing are necessary for anyone working with sensitive data or just caring about their security.
When to use it:
- When you open emails and messages.
- When you read online reviews and comments.
- When you log in to your online accounts.
- When you open websites online by clicking links that originated outside your bookmarks.
Ideally, always use anti-phishing tools. Fortunately, they usually come bundled with a VPN or antivirus and work in the background, so you don’t need to worry about connecting them each time you deal with sensitive information.
Password Manager
A password manager stores and manages your passwords. It can generate strong passwords and fill them in automatically during login. A platform like Passwd – team password manager for Google Workspace ensures that each account has a strong, unique password, reducing the risk of a security breach. And apart from security benefits, a password manager will save you lots of time.
Password managers are important for numerous reasons, most of the benefits are obvious, but the main ones are they are an easy and secure way to store all of your passwords in one place. With the help of a password manager, you can create strong, unique passwords for each of your online accounts, which is much more secure than using the same password for multiple accounts.
When to use it:
- Every time you create a new account or update an old password. Just let the password manager create one for you.
- Whenever you log in to your accounts.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
MFA is an additional layer of security. Accounts with MFA set up require multiple authentication methods to verify a user’s identity. The first method is usually a password, while other methods can be biometrics, one-time passcodes, and similar measures.
When to use it:
- Implement MFA for all marketing tools and platforms, especially those that store sensitive data. And use it whenever you access those platforms.
The only disadvantage of MFA is using it on shared accounts. If you share any marketing platforms with your colleagues, you should consider getting individual accounts for security.
