6 Cyber Safety Tips for Nonprofits

Protecting against cyber theft is a critical piece in ensuring donor care and retention. It’s vital for donors to know when they choose to contribute, their personal and financial information is safe and protected. Continue to insure all donor information is concealed by constantly taking the necessary steps to safeguard personal data. Here are tips to help minimize and protect against cyber threats.

Passwords

Make certain all passwords are unique for every employee and there is additional security in place to authenticate separate accounts. Employees should be required to change passwords frequently.

Protect your network

Keep Wi-Fi networks encrypted and hidden to prevent any sensitive information being leaked to unwanted parties.

Make sure all software and systems are up to date

Older systems are more susceptible to data breaches, which increases the likelihood of an unwanted hack of vulnerable data.

Secure payment processing

Many donors choose to give online and are wary to donate if payment processing is not accessible through a robustly secure platform. Manage donations by employing a reputable third-party service specifically designed for nonprofits and which guarantees protection.

Controlled access

Prevent data breaches by only allowing necessary user access to certain files and databases. Keep administrative privileges limited to executive level managers and principal IT staff while requiring all employees to lock up any portable devices not in use.

Have a communication/response plan in place

All staff should be properly trained on security procedures and frequent updates should be provided as procedures change. Should any suspected breach occur, a solid communication and rapid response strategy guarantees employees know who to contact and ultimately prevents additional attacks from increasing.

Proactive and continuous effort to prevent cyber-attacks is critical to every nonprofit organization, their staff and donors. We promote cyber safety and encourage others to do the same!

Content presented by First Nonprofit, the leading provider of state unemployment insurance solutions for 501(c)(3) nonprofit employers.