Is your influencer team or agency keeping influencer data safe? ⛳
As an influencer & social agency, we are responsible for ensuring we keep our clients, communities, influencers & employees safe. We’ve heard some real horror stories on how some store sensitive influencer data with addresses & full names being shared in group Slack channels, emails or open documents that “anyone on the internet can view”... which is scary tbh when thinking about data security & protection!! 😱
You never know what may happen to this data when more & more people get their hands on it & while we are sure you trust everyone on your team, your whole team doesn’t need to have access to everything 🛑
Especially when working with influencers, you should do your best to keep them & their data protected. Not just because of data security laws but because it’s the right thing to do 🤷
Working with clients & influencers globally requires understanding & adhering to regulations with strict data handling requirements (GDPR, PIPEDA, etc.) & with over $2 Billion in GDPR fines in 2023 alone, it should be top of mind to all businesses.
We feel data protection & cybersecurity get majorly overlooked in our industry & it’s usually a nice to have for big companies as opposed to the norm. Since last year, Disobey has invested nearly £100,000 towards strengthening our data & cyber security & will continue to invest as we grow 💰
We’ve spent hundreds of hours across the business ensuring our staff receive appropriate cyber security training & implementing policies & procedures that continue to keep all processed data safe 🎓 We run social media safety audits for our clients & more to ensure all access points are safe from the minute a client onboards with us.
We see you rolling your eyes & thinking, “FFS, another thing to do”, & honestly, same!! 😂 But it’s our duty to protect the people we work with as much as possible.
If worst comes to worst, you may be dealing with
- Data breaches & leaks
- Financial losses
- Damage to a client’s reputation
- Legal liabilities
- Identity theft
- Loss of IP/trade secrets
- Major operational disruptions
None of this sounds all too fun to deal with 👎
When choosing an agency to work with, ask them what cyber security measures they are taking to keep your influencer data safe. A data breach from your agency is a direct reflection on your business & can cause real damage to your brand or the influencers you are working with, so ensure you pick the right people who meet data security standards to keep your brand & influencers safe 💚
Finding the Right Agency
Consider asking data & security questions when deciding who you choose as an influencer agency partner. Do they have the below in place?
Technical & Organisational Measures: Data encryption, robust access controls, ongoing security awareness training, a well-defined incident response plan, policies & procedures all help demonstrate a commitment to protecting your data.
Verify Compliance: Ensure the agency adheres to relevant regulations in your country & is up to date with local data security standards.
Business Continuity: Are business continuity & disaster recovery plans in place for when something goes wrong?
Data Privacy Principles: What types of data will they be storing & processing & what are the limitations surrounding that?
The Value of Working with Partners Who “Get It”
Working with an agency that takes data protection seriously is essential & here’s why:
- Expertise & Experience in implementing robust cyber security measures ensures your data is safeguarded.
- Compliance with strict data protection regulations, such as GDPR. Working with compliant partners is important for meeting these requirements.
- Peace of Mind from knowing your data is protected, letting you focus on your upcoming game launch.
- Shared Knowledge of industry best practices & emerging threats helps you stay ahead of potential security risks.
- Speed & Efficiency in addressing security breaches with an established incident response plan.
- Improved trust & transparency through a demonstrated commitment to protecting data critical to your business.
Trust & transparency are key elements of working with Disobey - it’s not just something we say; it’s our DNA & we believe that robust cyber security & data protection practices further build on this & make us the ideal partner for your 2024 influencer campaigns 🌵
PS. If you have an internal influencer team, consider getting them to stop sharing Excel spreadsheets with lots of influencer data with all your suppliers. Keep that shit locked to as few people as possible 🔒
