What are the common web content creation challenges and risks in the era of data breaches and cyberattacks?

Another recently passed law is the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA), which presents additional compliance hurdles for national and Virginia-focused companies. And federal data protection statutes are on the horizon. Until they're passed, the laws enacted by states present a regulatory patchwork that firms will have to navigate or risk potentially costly penalties.

In this era of cyberattacks, invest in robust security measures like firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and regular security audits. Only collect the data you absolutely need and store it securely. Regularly review your data collection practices. Thoroughly research any third-party plugins or widgets before integrating them with your website. Choose reputable providers with a strong track record on security. Keep your CMS, plugins, and all website components updated with the latest security patches.

One of the common pitfalls in ensuring web content security is failing to keep information such as biometrics out of the hands of bad actors. Biometrics is relatively new, and many websites use it for ease of access, personalization, or for an extra measure of user security. Ironically, if a content creator's website is breached, and hackers get ahold of information such as voice recognition, facial recognition, or fingerprints, there is a larger issue at stake. Perhaps it is not so safe and secure after all? The best measure of security may be keeping this information to yourself, but that is unlikely as it will be more widely adopted across industries.

Truly original content is actually quite rare on the web, and as such, it can be particularly valuable from both an academic and a search-engine results perspective. People value expert opinions, and search tools like Google want to impart worthwhile knowledge to their users. Original and high-quality content can set you apart from competitors and colleagues alike and boost your visibility, credibility, and reputation.

It can be laborious to go back, re-read, and re-verify content you wrote ages ago. But in terms of protecting your credibility and reputation, it's usually worth it. Scholars know that while history doesn't change, it's always subject to reexamination, reassessment, and new facts coming to light. Critical points of view change, and arguments become obsolete. Sometimes being ahead of the curve means returning to the past to make corrections.

Making sure your content is usable and accessible presents another risk and problem in the creation of web content. The design and delivery of your information to make it inclusive and accessible for individuals with disabilities or impairments, such as visual, auditory, cognitive, or motor, is known as content accessibility. The design and delivery of your content to make it simple and pleasurable for your audience to access, navigate, and interact with is known as content usability.

The last thing the world needs is another 100-page document that no one will read. Always consider who your audience is when you produce content and what it takes to pique their interest. Just having content that's focused on a popular subject isn't necessarily good enough; how you say something is often just as important (if not more so) than what you say.

Consider the age-old question, "If a tree falls in the woods but no one hears it, does it make a sound?" In many ways, the audience size for a message can be more important than the message itself. Modern media empires have been built on content distribution channels and platforms, while powerful media executives and producers often gain fame for their novel promotional strategies and tactics.

Truly valuable content is evergreen; it will hold its value for years and even decades. Unfortunately, such content is usually the exception and not the rule. When you produce content, try to think about it from a long-term perspective. Is your content still going to be valid, entertaining, and of interest in a year? What about in five years? The longer you can stretch out the timeline and still answer "Yes" to these questions, the more worth your content will possess.