Cybersecurity and customer experience seem like completely opposite topics. But if you take a closer look from an experience perspective, you’ll see their surprisingly remarkable relationship. One is about keeping people safe, while the other focuses on keeping people happy. Safe and happy would be a great combination for businesses to gain a competitive advantage.
If your business can guarantee its customers a safe online environment, it will be easier for it to deliver an experience that stands out from the competition.
Break the myths
Unfortunately, most managers see cybersecurity as nothing more than the software and systems that protect their business. They often neglect that the customer experience should be focused on security. Instead of seeing cybersecurity as a castle protecting the business, you need to start by accepting two crucial truths:
- Technology is at the heart of many of our business processes and has many vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit.
- Protecting the products and services we offer from cyberattacks makes our customers feel safe and increases their trust in us.
What should be done to deliver a secure experience?
Here are some critical areas you can focus on and what you can do to secure your business and provide a secure experience for your customers.
Employee awareness training
Start by educating all company staff, including your senior managers. Instill in them that everyone has a stake in keeping companies safe and customers happy. Inform them about what kind of attacks to watch out for. They need to know what the common threats are, such as botnets, worms, DDoS attacks, fake sites, phishing and malware. Everyone should review company security policies, learn to spot and report anomalies, and be guided on what to do when problems arise. This helps to create a culture that focuses on securing the entire business. While the information systems department has a leading role in these processes, it is important to recognize that the responsibility lies with all company personnel. Think about the products and services your business offers from a consumer perspective and ensure that measures are in place to address potential cybersecurity threats. Report on all these processes by managing employee experiences.
Secure infrastructure
Secure your technology infrastructure, starting with all your devices. It is a good idea to establish clear policies on the use of computing resources. For example, limit the types of data that staff can store on company computers. Whenever possible, use company equipment only for work-related activities. Require employees to encrypt files. If you give out cell phones and devices, require users to enable PIN access and two-step verification in case these devices are lost or stolen. Make sure to limit access to customer data and create and enforce the data policy required by the KVKK (Personal Data Protection Law).
Then focus on your systems, networks and software. Be careful to control and limit access to these. Wi-fi networks are often vulnerable, so remember to change their default passwords. Consider segmenting your network so that only a specific system occupies each network segment. For example, accounting is on its own subnet, while marketing has its own defined area. This helps limit the damage in the event of an attack. Access to networks must be authenticated.
Having to deal with all elements of the infrastructure can be difficult and complex. It may be useful for the information systems department to create a sub-unit for cybersecurity.
Keep touchpoints secure
Define the entire customer journey as well as possible and identify all touchpoints before, during and after a sale or transaction. Each of these touchpoints is a potential point of attack and should be secured. SSL and HTTPS protocols should be used as standard to encrypt website connections. Stay ahead of attackers by conducting regular reviews of these touchpoints, including email, databases and social media. By taking the necessary security precautions along the journey, you are ensuring that customers have a safe experience.
Keep your customers informed
Show them that you are serious about providing a seamless experience by explaining your cybersecurity efforts. Tell them in plain language what measures you’re taking. Publish the policies you have in place to protect their personal data. Don’t forget to measure customer experience in all these processes. Conduct NPS and happiness measurements regularly.
