Highlights:

  • Data compliance and personal information protection regulations are constantly evolving, making it a full-time job to keep up with them.
  • Vendors’ adherence to the most up-to-date data standards and practices is an absolute yes regarding CCPA compliance.

Poorly designed display solutions are more undoubtedly destructive to B2B enterprises than beneficial. Even though a zero-tolerance policy is necessary for safe contextual placement, there are numerous aspects to consider when choosing the right platform for your business.

From the quality of the core outputs to the quality of the data connections and the quality of the reporting suite – these elements play a huge role in the smooth sailing of the business.

However, even the most basic brand protection measures aren’t enough for savvy advertising and media purchasers when a business’s reputation is at stake. The answer is simple: brand safety must be included from the start.

Data compliance and personal information protection regulations are constantly evolving, making it a full-time job to keep up with them. B2B marketers, no matter how hard they try, will always have more questions than answers.

If you don’t take precautions to safeguard your business’s reputation, your organization could face the following risks:

FINANCIAL RISK:

  • Fraud
  • Fines

REPUTATIONAL RISK:

  • Content presentation
  • User experience

LEGAL RISK:

  • Privacy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Data protection

Locating trustworthy and well-informed Vendor Partners that can contribute to the security of your business and its consumers is of the utmost importance.

To facilitate the verification process for B2B marketers, we have compiled this checklist. Bringing openness and responsibility to the vendor selection process will enable you to make the best decision for your company.

COMPLIANCE

Vendors’ adherence to the most up-to-date data standards and practices is an absolute yes regarding California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA compliance). The best way to ensure that everyone connected to your organization is safe is by asking these and more questions to get everything verified.

  • To what extent does the provider meet the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation?
  • Is the provider of the service Privacy Shield Certified?

Can the supplier produce a Certificate of Insurance proving the following coverage:

  • The commercial general liability?
  • Responsible conduct in the workplace?
  • Cybersecurity?
  • Liability for data security?
  • Compensation for employees?
  • Responsibility of employers?

DATA PROTECTION and PRIVACY

DATA COLLECTION

Your information is worth a lot of money to companies. Even if they ask kindly, not every vendor can be trusted with your confidential information if they can’t confidently answer the following questions.

  • Has the method to gather information by the vendor shared with you?
  • Do they use encryption on all data they store?
  • Can you fill out a secure form (HTTPS forms) on the vendor’s website?
  • Does the vendor fix the Top 10 vulnerabilities identified by the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP)?
  • Can you send and receive files securely using SFTP and HTTPS with this provider?
  • If they have data retention policies, how long do they keep them?
  • After the retention term has ended, how does the vendor ensure that the data is deleted permanently and securely?
  • Does the service provider encrypt personally identifiable information (Pii) both while stored and while being transferred?
  • To what extent are systems and applications protected by the current infrastructure?

DATA ACCESS

It is just as critical to know who has access to your data as to understand how they have gained access. For legal and ethical reasons, businesses should limit access to private information to only the most essential employees and teams.

  • Can you verify that the vendor offers encrypted activity logs, employee onboarding, and exit access management?
  • Does the vendor restrict information access to only those with a genuine “need to know”?
  • Is there a system in place to get the word out to workers about the policies and procedures they need to know to keep their personal data safe?
  • Does the provider follow a documented procedure to keep information secure from theft, misuse, and other forms of loss?
  • Does the provider mandate that all staff members use complex passwords to access its systems?
  • Does the service provider mandate (in writing) that all employees with access to Personally Identifiable Information use complex passwords (as per best practices)?
  • Does the vendor mandate that all users with sensitive data access change their passwords at least once in 90 days?
  • Does your provider have an established and written Information Security Incident Response Policy? Perhaps, a ISIR Team or Incident Response Group for Security?
  • Does the vendor do a criminal record check on all workers who may have access to your data or other sensitive information?

TRANSPARENCY

Does your supplier solemnly pledge to provide you with 100% accurate information? Trust in a company’s reliability, and legitimacy is crucial. You need to carefully design more questions to ensure that the vendor is worthy of your trust.

Last but not least, you need to ask some tough questions to segregate the pretenders from the real contenders.

To summarize,

A significant amount of responsibility is attached to the task of protecting the personal information of your customers, workers, and everyone in between. Your ideal Vendor Partner will be responsive to your needs, honest with you, and (most likely) come well recommended by others. You will be able to make an informed judgment about a brand’s safety if you are armed with our Brand Safety Checklist. This decision will be based on your own trust and verification.

Click Here to get more useful information about Brand Safety Guidelines by reading our Whitepaper.