How Can Digital Marketers Ensure Online Security in 2025

Businesses are increasingly moving online to meet their audience where they are. Today, digital marketing is not just an option but a necessity for most businesses. With approximately 66% of the global population now online, marketers are leveraging the digital landscape to promote their brands, products, and services.

While this shift has many advantages, it also exposes businesses to significant risks, particularly in terms of online security. Cybercriminals constantly target the personal customer data used by digital marketers, making robust security measures essential. Here's how digital marketers can ensure online security in 2025.  

Key Steps to Ensure Online Security

1. Track and Review Data Access

One of the key ways to ensure the web safety of the sensitive data you handle as a digital marketer is to know who has access to it at all times. Since your business heavily relies on this data, failing to safeguard it can result in significant financial losses and reputational damage in case of data leaks or unauthorized access.

In 2023 alone, businesses worldwide lost approximately $8 trillion to cybercrime, a figure projected to escalate to $24 trillion by 2027. Tracking and reviewing data access is a proactive step to ensure your business does not contribute to these alarming statistics.

Steps to Improve Data Access Security:

  • Implement Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Assign specific access permissions to team members based on their roles. This ensures that only individuals who work with certain information can access or modify it.
  • Regularly Review Permissions: Routinely audit access permissions to ensure no one retains unnecessary access to sensitive data.
  • Be Cautious About Insider Threats: Studies show that 95% of security breaches are caused by employees, either intentionally or due to carelessness. Regular training and monitoring can help mitigate these risks.

Taking these steps is not only crucial for compliance but also essential for maintaining trust with your customers and ensuring web safety for all stakeholders.

2. Ensure SSL Encryption Across All Sites

Trust is one of the most valuable currencies in digital marketing. Protecting customer data and ensuring their online safety are non-negotiable.

  • What is SSL Encryption? SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption secures communication between websites and users, safeguarding sensitive information like passwords, payment details, and personal data from cybercriminals.
  • Why It Matters: Over 82% of internet users say they would leave a website that isn’t secure. SSL encryption builds credibility and ensures that users trust your platform.
  • Practical Steps: Always verify that your website and any third-party sites you work with are SSL encrypted. Look for "https://" and a padlock icon in the URL. This signals that the site is secure.
  • Real-World Example: Directing traffic from a paid ad to a landing page without SSL encryption could expose your business to cyber threats and damage customer trust.

3. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

As a digital marketer, you manage multiple accounts across platforms, each potentially vulnerable to cyberattacks. MFA provides an added layer of security.

  • How MFA Works: It requires a second verification step beyond a password, such as:
  • A code sent via text message or an authentication app.
  • Biometric data like fingerprints.
  • Benefits of MFA: Even if a hacker steals your password, they cannot access your accounts without the second verification method.
  • Effectiveness: According to Microsoft, MFA can block up to 99.9% of automated attacks.
  • Ease of Use: Most platforms offer MFA in their account settings, and activating it takes just a few minutes.

4. Keep Your Software Updated

Cybercriminals frequently exploit outdated software to breach systems. Keeping your tools up to date is one of the simplest yet most effective security measures.

  • The Risk of Outdated Software: A 2019 Ponemon Institute survey found that 60% of data breaches were due to outdated software or unpatched vulnerabilities.
  • Practical Tips:
  • Regularly update all software, tools, and plugins you use for digital marketing.
  • Enable automatic updates whenever possible to ensure you're always protected.

Despite its importance, only 36% of people consistently install updates, leaving themselves vulnerable to attacks. Don’t be part of this statistic.

Bonus Tip: Assess Website Safety

As a digital marketer, you often link to external websites in your campaigns. Treat every site you work with cautiously.

  • Use Website Risk Assessment Tools: These tools evaluate the security level of a site and assign risk ratings.
  • Avoid High-Risk Sites: Websites with weak security are often used to distribute phishing scams or malware. Linking to such sites can harm your business and customers.

Conclusion

Online security is a crucial aspect of digital marketing in 2025. The growing prevalence of cybercrime makes it imperative for marketers to take proactive steps to protect their businesses and customers. By tracking data access, ensuring SSL encryption, enabling multi-factor authentication, updating software, and assessing website safety, you can significantly reduce the risk of cyberattacks.

Remember, secure marketing strategies not only protect your business but also build trust with your audience, setting the foundation for long-term success.