Security and privacy enhancing framework for Social Media Influencers and Content Creators

Abstract

In a relatively short period of time, social media has become a multi-billion dollar industry. One key demographic for social media are Social Medea Influencers (SMIs), who are entrepreneurs that work as independent marketers between companies and consumers. A significant amount of marketing revenue goes through SMIs, making them and their enterprises, often tied to a single social media platform and account, lucrative targets for malicious actors. The cybersecurity posture of a social media entrepreneur is often inadequate, as cybersecurity knowledge and expertise are not core competencies for SMIs. This paper presents a cybersecurity framework for SMIs that can be implemented in their business. The framework has been adapted from an existing framework for organisations into a framework that is directed specifically towards SMIs. The framework takes into account the nature of SMI work, the general technical aptitude of the target demographic and aims to provide an easily adaptable and implementable solution for improving the security posture of SMIs.