Last month a crypto scam was revealed: the Squid Token. This token traded on Binance is based upon the famous series Squid Game. It was, however, unapproved by Netflix. Regardless, it managed to reach a total of $2,856.65 per token before crashing five minutes later. The cause of the crash is still unknown. However, as the token’s owners were not identified, and the token itself dismissed, it was most likely a scam.

What does this crypto scam have to do with digital marketing? Obviously, the crypto market is a very specific one with a high volatility. Due to all the risks one is taking by solely investing on the crypto market, cybersecurity is at the core of the matter.

And this cybersecurity inspiration is exactly what I needed to give you these 4+ tips to avoid getting hacked online. Ready? Let’s dive in!

Tip 1: Verify your sources

As a digital marketing professional, your job is basically to stay up-to-date with the latest news and trends. To do so, you may have subscribed to several newsletters and check-in with a handful of blogs and social accounts regularly. It is your job. There is nothing wrong with that. However, you must verify your sources.

This was the main feature of the scam: this Squid token had not been approved officially by Netflix or any of the show’s creators. Yet, the owners marketed a crypto game similar to that of the show. People started investing in it solely due to the series’ popularity. They were so infatuated with the idea of the token that they dismissed its actual use and veracity.

It can happen that websites seem reliable and provide useful information. However, make sure to verify whether the information they are providing is true, original and factual before subscribing to their newsletter, citing their work or, in some cases, partnering up with them.

Your personal information can quickly leak or be sold inappropriately. Therefore, when subscribing to a website or a newsletter, make sure to:

1. be on the right one (some scammers take-on the name of an actual domain in order to trick visitors into signing up with them) and ;
2. beware they are not a scam (meaning, the information they provide is authentic and righteous).

Following this line of thought, here is the second tip.

Tip 2: Remember leaks are inevitable

Even reliable and trustworthy websites can be hacked. And, sometimes, your professional email address will be part of the leaked ones. This can be a problem, but not an unbearable one as long as you are aware of it.

Being aware of it means you are keeping track of hacking news and going to have i been pwed to verify your email’s safety. It takes two seconds and can save your business.

In any case, I recommend you keep your personal information and important articles on a separate drive. That way, you are protecting your data regardless of the situation.

I also recommend very classic advice but, hey, it works so: change your password often.

Tip 3: Rely on spreadsheets over your mind

It cannot be neglected that human error is one of the greatest causes of data breach. As a matter of fact, changing your password often as recommended in the previous tip is indeed effective, but not as much as multi-factor authentication.

A big factor of a cryptocurrency’s success is whether or not investors believe in it. Indeed, the coin itself may not be of big use or have an outstanding whitepaper. What truly matters is the community’s engagement regarding its storytelling. 

An engaged community will drive investments up. This is basically what happened with the Squid token.

My point is: the human brain involves an emotional component which cannot yet be measured. Therefore, it is more prone to error than a machine. 

Therefore, I recommend keeping an excel spreadsheet with the websites you have subscribed to and the corresponding passwords. Obviously, it is preferable to have an auto-generated password each time rather than one you repeatedly use for each website.

Following the human factor, let’s dive into our last tip.

Tip 4: Be careful who you partner up with

The digital marketing sphere is a pretty sympathetic one. Experts are often friendly, efficient, and willing to provide useful and reliable services and information. This is great! However, like in any field, some people are less reliable than others and scams can happen.

Before starting to work with an expert or a website, ask yourself the following questions:

• Are they known in their field?
• Do they publish often?
• Have coworkers of mine worked with them already?
• Can I reach out to them easily?
• Do they reply frequently?
• Am I talking to an actual person or a persona?
• Have they been recommended by businesses or professionals I trust?

Whether it’d be with cryptocurrency or digital marketing, any online exchanges have a hard time getting justice from governments. Slowly, thanks to GDPR compliances, the online sphere is starting to become more and more regulated. However, it is still not fully the case.

Therefore, if you get scammed online, it will be harder for you to recover from it since you’ll have no one to put on trial nor insurance to back you up.

Bonus Tip: Beware of sudden trends

The internet is full of sudden trends and viral content. On one side, it can be beneficial for your site, since it can become a great marketing opportunity. xOn the other hand, scams happen more easily. Meaning, although things can get heated up pretty quickly, they can also cool off twice as fast.

Therefore, the life tip I can give you is: take it easy.

Squid Game was a huge success for a short period of time. Some people made money off of investing on the Squid token, but the vast majority got scammed and lost their investments.

If you are sure you can benefit from a trend by minimizing the risk: then go with it. However, do not risk your entire business on an unusual partnership opportunity or by subscribing to a seemingly outstanding service without having the certainty of getting the right return.

Cybersecurity does have a ‘cyber’ part to it, but the main one I’ll say is only human.

Therefore, make sure to protect your personal and business data as much as possible. That way, you’ll minimize the consequences when an accident happens.