Cyber security has become one of the most important issues facing the financial industry today. Often times, as bank and credit union marketers, we look at the security of our institution and our customers, as it relates to cyber, as “not our responsibility.” That is, after all, what the IT department is for. Right?

Cyber security for financial institutions is no longer relevant only to IT departments. The serious and irreparable harm that can come to brand reputation makes this a marketing issue as well. Consumers continue to list “trust and security” as their number one priority when selecting a financial institution. They want to know their information is safe and that the bank or credit union the do business with is safe also.

80% of all security breaches begin with human error, as opposed to a failure in security technology.

Cyber attacks are not restricted to big banks and enormous corporations that we read about in news headlines. Cyber criminals make good money selling “outdated” malware to the highest bidder, which is then used to attack less-secure systems that can be found at smaller financial institutions and other consumer-related companies.

That means that the continued uptick in cyber security concerns for both financial institutions and their customers will only continue to rise. Adding in proposed regulation changes on the sate level, this presents a unique opportunity for financial marketers to take center stage. This is the time to get out in front of the issue, actively communicating to our customers that we care about their well being.

So how do we do this?

A strategy to reach customers (intended audience), generate engagement and educate needs three key components:

  • Onmi-channel delivery
  • Engaging content with relevant value
  • Create a bias for taking action

Current education on cyber security for our customers has usually resided in generating blog posts about the latest scams, fraud and identity theft trends – and alerting our customers to stay vigilant. However, cyber security education needs to go beyond these measures, in a much more robust approach.

As marketers, we have the capability and resources to approach consumer education and engagement on cyber security better than we ever have before. Now is the time to introduce tactics such as automated emails, content libraries and staff engagement pieces to keep these issues top of mind with our customers. Our customers, in turn, then see us as a valuable resource for cyber security information and our willingness to keep their security top of mind.

For more on how you can help your customers and members stay safe in a cyber world, drop us a line here, or contact our partner and expert in the cyber security education, Truebridge Integrated Content Marketing, here.