You’ve done it countless times, filled out a form to join a store’s SMS marketing list. You type in your number, hit submit, and trust that your information doesn’t end up in the hands of every telemarketer available. Providing your details matters, and data capture is everywhere. Companies worldwide use contests, checkout screens, and SMS messaging sign-ups to collect information every second. Protecting SMS messaging data capture is about trust, and keeping data capture secure ensures people remember your brand for the right reasons.
What Happens During Data Capture?
You’ve landed a new customer, and they have filled out the form with their number included. Then, the data travels across the web to land in your system. On its journey, it passes through multiple servers, networks, and checkpoints, each one being a potential weak spot in your data’s security. In most cases, SMS messaging data capture occurs without the use of encryption. This means anyone who comes across it can see it.
Encryption
SMS marketing only works if customers are comfortable sharing their phone numbers with your company. Businesses can help foster this trust by being diligent and up-to-date on their processes. Encryption is the norm; data being shared across the internet should always be scrambled so that even if someone were to obtain it, they wouldn’t be able to read it. You can think of it as those secret codes you used to create in the study hall, so you could pass top-secret messages to your best friend without anyone knowing. Modern encryption converts your customers’ data into an unreadable language, accessible only to authorized systems that possess the key to decode the message.
There are two primary types of encryption: encryption in transit and encryption at rest. Data in transit encryption protects information as it travels from customer phones to your servers. This form of encryption ensures that no one can intercept it in transit and view the contents. Data at rest encryption encompasses the protection of information that is already stored in your database. Even if someone managed to gain access to your database information, all they would see is unreadable.
Compliance
Depending on your location, there are different rules regarding SMS messaging data capture. Before getting started with SMS marketing, ensure you are familiar with the laws in your area. Laws such as GDPR, CCPA, CASL, and HIPAA are all regulations related to the sharing and protection of consumer information. Violating laws relating to SMS data capture can cost you your business. The common denominator among these laws is consent and proper security measures, specifically informed consent. This means that your customers must knowingly choose to provide you with their number. It wasn’t obtained through dishonesty and trickery. Once your customer has trusted you with their number, it is your responsibility to protect it as if it were your own and keep this data capture secure.
Ways to Upgrade Your Security
If your sign-up page isn’t encrypted, you need to fix that. Do not store data in plain text. If you are able to pull up and read phone numbers like a list, so can everyone else. Limit access to your entire SMS marketing list. Your whole team doesn’t need it, and only those who do should be able to access it. Continuously update your systems to ensure you are up to date on the latest best practices for protecting your information.
Real Solutions
Start with research. Look for a reputable SMS marketing platform that prioritizes security and data protection. Look for companies that explicitly mention encryption, compliance certifications, and regular security audits. Any trustworthy SMS marketing platform will be transparent about how it protects data. If a company refuses to disclose this information, you should consider looking elsewhere.
CTA: Learn how we can help you keep your SMS marketing data safe and protected.
Reference:
Office of the Attorney General, California Department of Justice. (2024). California Consumer Privacy Act.
