Why you should learn to love your data security team

How’s your agency’s relationship with your data security team?

Do you call them at home? Send little notes? Swing your feet under your seat when you talk to them? Or do you only ever call them when you need something, and describe it as ‘It’s complicated?’

Obviously, I’m not saying you need to date your data security team (unless you want to, that’s none of my business) but if it’s the latter, you could be playing a risky game as new threats are on the rise.

According to a report by Marketing Dive, 84% of marketing chiefs believe artificial intelligence and machine learning will impact data security.

But if that’s the case, why are marketing-security partnerships badly underutilised?

CMOs usually understand the value of these relationships, but they often only collaborate when there’s a fire to put out. In early data-security partnerships, collaboration on campaigns often doesn’t occur at all.

But regular data security hygiene helps to prevent crises from happening in the first place, keeping CMOs aware of where the next threats might emerge, per the report. However, 33% of CMOs see data-security organisations as hesitant or unwilling to work together, creating a communication barrier.

While security and marketing seem like two different worlds, robust security is crucial to effective marketing.

Because weak security can cause a breach, and a breach can obliterate your marketing efforts in a heartbeat.

Not only can a breach damage you financially (and legally). It can also irreparably damage your reputation, particularly when the compromised data belongs to your customers, not you.

Almost 4,000 cyberattacks target businesses every day, and attacks are projected to cause over $10 trillion in damage by 2025.

With the emergence of generative AI, the risks are amplified.

Everybody and their dog want to use AI to boost efficiency, creative ideation and personalisation in their marketing. But how AI acquires and applies data can be unsafe.

Experts say that AI can be used for a myriad of purposes when it comes to cybersecurity attacks, particularly where privacy is concerned. Remember when ChatGPT leaked users chat history? Now imagine the vast amount of data that an AI system designed for marketing crunches. And imagine that being breached or used to invade user privacy.

Whose privacy is at risk?

Last summer, it was discovered that one third of the top US hospitals’ websites were sending patients protected health information to Meta by simply clicking a button to schedule an appointment.

Since then, a plethora of different companies, including major tax preparers, telehealth startups, and even the Department of Education have been caught up in breach scandals, damaging their brands and leading to class action lawsuits.

So, what’s a brand to do?

We can no longer treat security and risk management as an afterthought! Your customers certainly don’t.

As organisations grow and look to enable innovation while capitalising on new opportunities, marketing-security partnerships need to form as allies, not antagonists. After all, this leads to less painful missteps and gives your consumers peace of mind.

Go on, send them flowers and announce your love. And change that relo status to ‘happily married,’ for the sake of your security.

-Sophie, Writer