Data has become one of the most valuable resources in the modern world. 

With increased reliance on technology, we’ve seen more options and complexity available within the cybersecurity world. 

With this comes increased risk as cybercriminals become more sophisticated in their attacks. That’s why it’s essential to ensure your data is as secure as possible. 

1. Marketing Automation Privacy Laws 

When hosting your marketing automation data in Australia, your provider is required to abide by Australia’s privacy laws. 

At Swift Digital, we notify all our clients as to what is done with their data and are also legally obligated to ensure its protection. When your data is stored in a cloud that is hosted offshore, it is classified as a ‘resident’ in that particular country. 

This means that it is subject to that country’s privacy laws, and Australia no longer has any jurisdiction over that data. 

2. Customer Trust 

When a data breach occurs, customers look to their provider to ensure it is being dealt with promptly and efficiently to ensure their data remains secure. 

Even when following all the proper steps to secure your offshore data, it’s no secret that security breaches at offshore locations can be harder to detect and harder to deal with. 

Therefore, offshoring poses a major risk in terms of your reputation and level of customer trust. If a breach occurs and your marketing automation data is compromised, if you aren’t able to deal with it promptly, your customers can lose faith in you as a provider. 

3. Marketing Automation Compliance Standards 

If data is hosted offshore, it is not always possible to know what standard your offshore provider complies with. 

Global interoperability standards don’t require all countries to follow the same frameworks. 

Instead, it allows for bridges to be built across international frameworks to abide by each country’s laws, meaning your marketing automation data can be used according to that country’s legal framework rather than abiding by Australia’s compliance standards. 

4. Reliable Infrastructure 

When storing data offshore, you expose yourself and your clients to a lack of security protocols on those offshore devices and unreliable systems. 

With systems in place, such as the Digital Government Strategy, Australia has outlined a defined approach to security systems and infrastructure standards for onshore data. 

When these systems are available to you, it’s best to have them working in your favour. 

Hence why hosting your marketing automation data onshore is the most reliable option. 

5. Lower Price, Lower Quality 

When hosting your data offshore, you get what you pay for. 

One of the main attractions of offshore data hosting is the reduced price. 

Businesses have taken advantage of lower labour costs in exchange for reduced performance and increased risk. At Swift Digital, we’ve worked to provide our clients with the best rates possible while keeping marketing automation data safe with a trusted onshore provider. 

6. Higher Risk 

As a stable country with technology and laws in place to safeguard your data, Australia poses much less risk. 

Keeping your marketing automation data onshore allows greater privacy and more robust protection for you and your clients. 

Not only do the chances of a breach decrease, but the chances of data remaining safe after a breach increases exponentially. For these reasons, many Australian companies have policies to ensure data is kept onshore. 

7. Lesser Data Integrity 

Referring to data integrity as accuracy and consistency of data, an offshore provider will often not have the required resources to maintain the highest level of data integrity. 

It can be difficult to access the same standard of technology and human resources we have here in Australia when hosting your data offshore, Meaning that there is not only an increased risk of a security breach but also an increased risk of your data losing its integrity and accuracy when hosted offshore. 

Data is the Lifeblood of Your Business 

Data is the lifeblood of your business, which is why it’s essential to ensure it’s safe. At Swift Digital, we are an Australian-based marketing automation platform that prides itself on keeping your data secure. 

We use state-of-the-art web servers, and our servers are geo-locked to Australia – meaning Australia’s privacy laws bind your data. Contact us today if you want to learn more about our services and security. 

Download Swift Digital’s data and security platform checklist to run security health checks on your organisation, third-party platforms, and vendors.