Holiday Season Ad Account Security: Your Go‑To Checklist

As the holiday buzz starts to pick up, ad accounts become prime targets. What unfolds is often a scramble to regain control after a hack. Taking guardrails now isn’t just thoughtful, it’s a strategic shield for your work, team, and brand integrity.

Below is your simple, anchored checklist to secure your ad ecosystem, and the why behind each step, before the holiday flurry begins.

Why Holiday Season, Why Now?

This is the time when everyone is dialed in, budgets are larger, and campaigns are firing fast. That urgency means small mistakes can have cascading consequences. A hacked ad account can lead to:

• Budget breaches and unexpected spend.

• Reputation risk, think off-message ads or inappropriate content serving to your audience.

• Trust erosion, for your brand and for the team managing these spaces.

That’s three strikes. So it makes sense to fortify now.

The Tactical Two‑Factor Checklist

1 Enable two‑factor authentication (2FA) on Facebook

• Why it matters ensures that even if passwords are compromised, access remains gated behind your phone or authenticator app.

2 Enable 2FA on Instagram

• This helps protect your creative edge, the content, Stories, and campaign control that fuel holiday reach.

3 Enable 2FA on Gmail

• It’s likely the hub of password resets, notifications, and ad account workflows. Meaning if it’s exposed your entire system is vulnerable.

4 Enable 2FA on PayPal accounts (and any billing platforms)

• This prevents malicious spend that could drain budgets fast and with little immediate visibility.

5 Ensure your entire team is covered

• Every person with access to email, social platforms, or ad tools must have 2FA enabled on their personal accounts and devices. It’s not enough for just admin accounts to be secure.

How to Roll This Out With Your Team

1. Audit who has access
Start by mapping out everyone who has access to your emails, social platforms, ad dashboards, or billing tools. This helps clarify who needs to take action.

2. Check 2FA status across the board
For each platform and each team member, confirm whether two-factor authentication is already enabled. Create a quick list of what’s covered and what still needs to be set up.

3. Set a mid-September check-in
Give your team a clear deadline to get secure. A simple reminder, paired with a bit of support, goes a long way.

4. Share helpful how-tos
Make it easy. Provide links to guides or offer to screen-share if someone gets stuck. Reducing friction makes follow-through more likely.

5. Make it part of your rhythm
Just like you plan your campaigns, make security part of your seasonal workflow. A quick quarterly check-in helps you stay ahead, not reactive.

A quick security checklist to share with the group chat

• 2FA enabled on Facebook (business + personal)

• 2FA enabled on Instagram

• 2FA enabled on Gmail (individual and shared email accounts)

• 2FA enabled on PayPal or other payment platforms

• All team members with access have 2FA enabled on their own accounts and devices

Let’s Set You Up to Win

Security doesn’t need to feel like a tech deep‑dive. With clear intent and simple alignment, fortifying your ad stack before the holiday season becomes a defined act of care. The payoff arrives in peace of mind, and a smoother run of your campaigns when the bustle hits. Here’s to smooth, secure, and connected holiday campaigns.

Whether you’re launching a new hero product or scaling a campaign for the season ahead, security is just one piece of the bigger picture. At Swtch House, we help beauty and wellness brands move with intention, through strategy, creative, and everything in between.

If you're ready for deeper support this holiday season, from ad planning to performance, let’s talk.