Your brand is precious, don't let it be hacked
By Marie-Eve Guidi
President and Brand Strategist
At Guidi.co, we build strong identities so that your customers recognize and trust you at first glance. But what happens when the "voice" we've created together is stolen? Being hacked isn't just a financial risk: it's a frontal attack on your brand image.
Trust: the fragile pillar of branding
Branding is the trust your customers place in you at every point of contact. If a fraudster takes control of your accounts and publishes fraudulent content in your name, that trust collapses in an instant. Your audience doubts, your customers hesitate and your reputation is weakened. A brand that no longer controls its accesses no longer controls its image.
Digital assets where your brand is vulnerable
To preserve your reputation, constant vigilance is required at all points of expression of your online identity:
- Domain name: It represents your main digital address. Its loss is equivalent to the disappearance of your brand on the web.
- Social networking: These platforms are your public showcases. A hack allows a third party to express themselves in your name, causing immediate damage to your image.
- Website and hosting: It's the heart of your presence. If its security is compromised, the entire customer experience can collapse.
- Bank accounts: Securing these fundamental elements is the basis of all protection.
Checklist: protect the integrity of your brand identity
Once you've identified where your brand is vulnerable, it's time to take action.
Lock your property access
Domain & hosting: Confirm that you are the official owner and activate automatic renewal.
Google Business or Bing listing: Be the only "Primary Owner" to avoid malicious modifications. Be careful about sharing other accesses.
Secure your public "voice"
Double authentication (2FA): Activate it on ALL your accounts (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn...) to limit the risk of unauthorized access.
Access cleaning: Remove the rights of former contractors or employees to maintain complete control over your platforms.
Combining image, infrastructure and protection
Branding is our expertise, but security and technical stability are essential pillars in supporting your branding. For total peace of mind, we've selected a number of trusted companies that we recommend without hesitation.
To protect your social networks, we recommend Resolock whose expertise enables them to lock down your accesses and intervene before a crisis occurs, in a preventative rather than reactive approach. For the solidity of your infrastructure, including website hosting and domain name management, we work hand in hand with our long-standing partner, Horizon Cumulus a strong brand is built on stable, local technical foundations.
They are the logical complement to our work: we create your image, while they stabilize and protect it.
3 reflexes to avoid pitfalls
In addition to securing your accesses and infrastructures, adopt these simple reflexes to avoid the pitfalls of everyday life:
Delegate verification
In the event of a suspicious call, say: "I need to validate with my agency and my experts."
Confirm source
Google, Meta or your financial institution will never ask you for your password over the phone.
Instinct before click
If an e-mail seems "off" or urgent, don't click on anything.
We'd rather you call us ten times for nothing than have to rebuild a shattered brand image with you. Recovering an account is tedious, but restoring lost trust is a far greater challenge. Be proactive, protect your identity.
