A photographer must be online, or they’ll get nowhere. In this crowded industry, creators don’t have other options. As a result, most photographers have large digital footprints that allow them to bring in new leads.

This large-scale digitization brings risks. Photos are highly portable merchandise that can be sold for quick cash, making photographers also more attractive targets than the small bakery or bookshop next door because. Also, cybercriminals know that small businesses and freelancers lack the cybersecurity measures of large studios.
There are darker scenarios, but most of them can be prevented with the right attitude and a few proven expert tips.
In This Article:
The Top 5 Cyberthreats to Photographers
Photographers run a significant risk of theft by hackers. Imagine losing potentially prize-winning photos, a carefully curated portfolio, or your clients’ images in one fell swoop. You may incur a significant loss of reputation and damage to your brand. You could even become embroiled in copyright cases many years later.
Unfortunately, even photographers in non-controversial fields, like weddings, could be targeted. There’s always the looming threat of tampering with photos with AI tools. Innocent family photos, photos of children, and your client’s private images can be sold or used for malicious purposes.
Threat 1: Unsecure Storage and Backups
You’ve heard about secure storage and regular backups, but the issue is a little more complex than slapping it in a sync file on your laptop. To store your photos securely, you must solve two problems: securing data at rest and in transit.
1.1 Protecting Data at Rest:
Encrypted cloud storage converts data into a code in the cloud so it can be decoded and seen only by authorized users. Most popular storage platforms use encryption. For example, Google uses 128-bit AES encryption, Dropbox offers 256-bit AES encryption, and Microsoft uses its proprietary BitLocker for data at rest. And yet, data stored at most well-known cloud vendors, including Microsoft and AWS have been exposed in breaches, some caused by server misconfigurations or other human error.
1.2 Protecting Data in Transit:
You must also protect the data while you move it to and from storage. Some platforms use end-to-end encryption, which secures uploads and downloads. However, it doesn’t protect your network unless you’re using a VPN (virtual private network) on your work device.
A VPN encrypts your files and other data in transit, not only from the illegal snoopers but also from your ISP (internet service provider). It then sends them via a secure tunnel to the intended recipient, who has the correct decryption key. Even if someone intercepts the data, they cannot understand or use it.
Intercepting data in transit is not a farfetched concept at all. Hackers, including the nosy teens next door, are a threat. So are other cybercriminals. This is especially true if you use public wifi. Even legitimate groups, like your ISP or government agencies, can easily see, change, or divert any non-encrypted internet traffic.
Using a VPN adds more security to protect your data from any potential threats. Photographers handle very large files and will need the fastest VPN for their secure filesharing to prevent waiting around for large up- and downloads.
1.3 Adopt the 3E-Routine:
The 3E-routine is an acronym for “Sending encrypted data via an encrypted connection to an encrypted storage facility.” The steps are to:
- Encrypt your photos when you transfer them from your cameras to your computer. If you lose the computer, an attacker won’t be able to recover them.
- Encrypt your internet connection with a trustworthy VPN.
- Use encrypted storage for data at rest.
Threat 2: The Scourge of Phishing
Photographers receive a lot of unsolicited emails or messages from potential clients. The standard advice is to verify the sender. But how do you verify the sender if the email came from a private email address and not a company? You can’t simply set your spam filters to maximum sensitivity. You’re likely to block innocent messages from prospective clients.
Use a premium antivirus with a spam filter to help you stay safe. Never drop your guard. Treat every email as a potential phishing attempt. It may trick you into giving up sensitive information or clicking on malicious links. This is especially true for emails with a login link to any platform, service, or bank. If you receive an email with an attachment, scan it with an antivirus or your VPN’s malware scan while downloading to make sure that it’s safe to open.
Threat 3: Ransomware is Here to Stay
Phishing messages often carry the seeds of ransomware. That’s when hackers encrypt your files and hold them hostage until you pay a ransom. Some attackers take the money and run without restoring your files. Some ransomware also exfiltrates your files, so they’ll still have your RAW material even if you pay the ransom. Either way, ransomware is a nasty deal.
Again, a premium antivirus should protect you from all but the most recent threats. Also, keep your operating system (e.g., Windows, Linux, or Apple IoS) up to date.
Threat 4: AI Scraping and Unauthorized Downloads
In the past, we only had to combat low-level theft via unauthorized downloads and screenshots. Watermarking images, using low-res previews, and DRM could prevent most incidents. However, AI has
made watermarks obsolete.
4.1 Copyright Assertion Versus Metadata Privacy:
Metadata might include time, date, location, contact details, and more. It reveals far more about people than what may be safe. For example, it shows the location, equipment, date, and other personal information. Criminals can use such detailed info to identify or track individuals down. On the other hand, adding authoritative metadata to images can help you assert copyright in case of future disputes.
Strip unnecessary metadata from your images. For example, Photoshop has a “Save for Web and Devices” option to remove or add data and copyright information to the EXIF file. You can also use Adobe Content Credentials, which tracks tampering and can prove the authenticity of a picture.
4.2 Tracking your work online:
Generative AI programs draw on an immense library of images of often shadowy provenance. Despite protests from creators, they’re still at it. Artists are in the midst of taking tech companies to task for using millions of photos without permission to train their AIs. You can use the free “Have I Been Trained?” website to find out whether your images have been used for AI training.
Embark on an active tracking program to follow the digital trail of your work. You can use a free Google reverse image search or upload your images to TinEye or Pixsy for long-term monitoring.
Threat 5: Website Safety
Attackers can harm your business via your website in more ways than just downloading photos from your gallery. A hacked or defaced website can cost a lot of money to fix. Apart from the downtime, the attackers could also leave behind malware to infect your visitors. That could cause an enormous loss of trust in your brand.
Beat hackers by using a top-notch hosting company with secure servers. Add a content management and cloud security system like Cloudflare. Update the website backend software regularly. Pay extra for a top-notch SSL certification, e.g., from GlobalSign or Thawte, rather than a cheap SSL certificate from an unknown company.
Ask an SEO expert or learn to update your robots.txt file (sitemap) to beat AI scrapers. It should instruct AI bots to stop scraping specific pages.
Remember the Cybersecurity Basics for Photography
With novices using AI to steal your work, let’s not make it easy for them to access our original material. Guard against phishing messages, use an antivirus program, and encrypt your network with a VPN to stay safer online. Use encryption to store client information and back up your files in secure offline storage. Stay creative and stay safe!