Security Best Practices for Creators

Your online business is your livelihood. One security breach could destroy years of work, damage your reputation, and cost you thousands. The good news? Most security issues are preventable with basic practices that take minutes to implement.

Why Creators Are Targets

You might think "I'm too small to be targeted." Think again. Hackers love creators because:

1. You have valuable content that can be resold
2. You store customer data including payment info
3. You have influence that can be exploited
4. You're often alone without IT departments
5. You're busy and might miss warning signs

True story: A fitness influencer lost her entire course library when hackers deleted everything and demanded ransom. She had no backups. Don't be her.

Password Security (Your First Defense)

The Password Rules That Actually Matter

Forget the old "8 characters with symbols" advice. Here's what works:

Use a Password Manager

• Generate unique passwords for every site
• Store them securely encrypted
• Access them across all devices
• Recommended: Bitwarden (free), 1Password, or LastPass

Create Strong Master Passwords Use a passphrase, not a password:

• Good: correct-horse-battery-staple-2024
• Better: MyDogSkipsLovePizzaEveryTuesday

Never Reuse Passwords One breach shouldn't compromise everything.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

This is non-negotiable. Enable 2FA on:

1. Your Selgora account (protects your business)
2. Email accounts (often the keys to everything)
3. Banking and payments (Stripe, PayPal, etc.)
4. Social media (protects your audience)
5. Domain registrar (protects your website)

Best 2FA Methods (in order):

1. Hardware keys (YubiKey)
2. Authenticator apps (Google Authenticator, Authy)
3. SMS (better than nothing, but vulnerable)

Protecting Your Content

Content Theft Prevention

Your courses and content are your assets. Protect them:

Watermark Your Videos

• Add subtle branding
• Include your URL or logo
• Makes stolen content trackable

Use Secure Hosting

• Don't use public URLs for paid content
• Implement access tokens
• Set content expiration

Monitor for Piracy

• Set up Google Alerts for your course names
• Search for your content on piracy sites
• Use DMCA takedown notices when found

Backup Everything (The 3-2-1 Rule)

Follow the 3-2-1 backup rule:

• 3 copies of important data
• 2 different storage types
• 1 offsite backup

Your Backup Checklist:

• Course content and videos
• Customer databases
• Email lists
• Website files
• Financial records
• Legal documents
• Brand assets

Customer Data Protection

GDPR and Privacy Compliance

Even if you're not in Europe, follow GDPR principles:

Collect Minimum Data

• Only ask for what you need
• Don't store payment cards (let Stripe handle it)
• Delete old data regularly

Get Clear Consent

• Explicit opt-in for emails
• Clear privacy policy
• Cookie consent banners
• Unsubscribe options

Handle Requests Properly

• Data access requests
• Deletion requests
• Portability requests
• Keep audit logs

Secure Payment Handling

Never Store Card Details Let payment processors handle it:

• Use Stripe's hosted checkout
• Implement Stripe Elements
• Never log full card numbers
• Use tokenization

Account Security

Team Access Management

As you grow, you'll need help. Stay secure:

Principle of Least Privilege

• Give minimum necessary access
• Editor doesn't need financial access
• VA doesn't need owner permissions
• Regular access reviews

Access Levels in Selgora:

• Owner: Full control (only you)
• Admin: Management without billing
• Editor: Content management only
• Viewer: Read-only access

When Someone Leaves:

1. Revoke access immediately
2. Change shared passwords
3. Review recent activities
4. Update security questions
5. Notify team of change

Recognizing Phishing Attempts

Phishing is the #1 threat. Know the signs:

Red Flags:

• Urgent action required
• Suspicious sender address
• Generic greetings
• Grammar and spelling errors
• Unexpected attachments
• Links to strange URLs

Verification Steps:

1. Hover over links (don't click)
2. Check sender's actual email
3. Contact company directly
4. Never give passwords via email
5. Report phishing attempts

Platform Security Features

Using Selgora's Security Tools

Selgora provides built-in security features:

IP Whitelisting

• Restrict admin access to specific IPs
• Great for static office IPs
• Add your home IP as backup

Login Notifications

• Get alerts for new device logins
• Immediate awareness of breaches
• Quick response capability

Session Management

• View active sessions
• Terminate suspicious logins
• Force password resets

API Security

• Use API keys, not passwords
• Rotate keys regularly
• Set key permissions
• Monitor usage

Incident Response Plan

When (not if) something happens:

Immediate Actions (First Hour)

1. Contain the Breach

   • Change all passwords
   • Revoke all access tokens
   • Disable compromised accounts
   • Take affected systems offline

2. Assess the Damage

   • What was accessed?
   • What was taken?
   • How did they get in?
   • Who is affected?

3. Preserve Evidence

   • Screenshot everything
   • Save server logs
   • Document timeline
   • Don't destroy evidence

Recovery Phase (First Day)

1. Secure Your Systems

   • Patch vulnerabilities
   • Update all software
   • Implement missing security
   • Review access logs

2. Notify Affected Parties

   • Customers (if data breached)
   • Payment processors
   • Legal requirements
   • Your team

3. Restore Operations

   • Restore from clean backups
   • Verify system integrity
   • Monitor for repeat attacks
   • Update security measures

Security Checklist

Daily

• Check for suspicious login attempts
• Review critical system alerts
• Verify backups completed

Weekly

• Review user access logs
• Check for software updates
• Test backup restoration
• Review security alerts

Monthly

• Audit user permissions
• Update passwords for critical systems
• Security awareness training
• Review and update documentation

Quarterly

• Full security audit
• Penetration testing
• Update incident response plan
• Review compliance requirements

Common Security Mistakes

1. "It Won't Happen to Me": Every breached business thought this
2. Sharing Passwords: Use proper access management instead
3. Ignoring Updates: They fix security holes hackers exploit
4. No Backup Testing: Untested backups are just wasted space
5. Weak Security Questions: Use fake answers you'll remember

Your 30-Day Security Improvement Plan

Week 1: Foundation

• Enable 2FA everywhere
• Set up password manager
• Audit current passwords
• Create backup plan

Week 2: Protection

• Review privacy policies
• Update software
• Set up monitoring
• Test backups

Week 3: Prevention

• Security training
• Create incident plan
• Review permissions
• Update documentation

Week 4: Maintenance

• Establish routines
• Set up alerts
• Schedule audits
• Continuous improvement

Remember This

Security isn't about being paranoid – it's about being prepared. Every minute spent on security saves hours of crisis management. Every dollar spent on protection saves thousands in breach costs.

Start with the basics: strong passwords, 2FA, and backups. Build from there. Your future self (and your customers) will thank you.

The best time to improve security was yesterday. The second best time is right now. What will you secure first?