According to Expert Market Research, the global digital marketing industry is now valued at $305 billion (£220bn) and is expected to reach $807 billion (£581BN) in 2026, with an estimated CAGR of 17.6%.
In such a growing market, cybercriminals are always vying for a share of the cake. Hundreds of marketing firms are targeted by cyberattacks every day, and of these some will always succumb to attacks.
What’s more, it’s not just the big firms that are in danger. Insurer Hiscox estimates that 23% of SMEs have endured a cyberattack in the last year, and one in six victims felt their business survival was threatened as a result.
“The marketing industry is handling a lot of data on a daily basis,” said Juta Gurinaviciute, CTO at NordVPN Teams. “With that comes increased risk of that data being leaked or intercepted. The industry is so fast-paced, data protection often becomes an afterthought when it should rather be a foundation.”
As the list of third-party solutions, tools, and APIs that marketers use continues to grow, the likelihood of the data they use being exposed also grows due to it travelling through more and more databases.
“It is impossible to be completely sure that partners are taking good care of your data,” continued Gurinaviciute.
“This is why choosing partners that have extensive data protection policies in place should be a top priority for every marketer. A breach on a third-party vendor’s side can be as costly, financially or reputationally.”
Apart from ensuring third-party vendors take good care of data, NordVPN Teams believes marketers should ensure their staff are aware of possible cyberthreats and are trained to react accordingly.
“Data suggests that more than 80% of successful data breaches involve human error,” said Gurinaviciute. “This is why organizations must invest in cybersecurity training. For businesses to stay safe, the employees must be able to recognize threats and follow safe online practices.”
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