National Cyber Security Awareness Month

Well it’s happened again…. yet another hacker is responsible for breaching an organization’s secure data and exposing over 143 million people to waves of potential credit nightmares. 

I am sure you have either heard of or been part of a data security breach.  It would be almost impossible to avoid these days since there have been over 7,725 breaches that the public has been made aware of.  If that number doesn’t send off alarms consider this, these breaches have exposed 1,070,809,506 records of private information to potential criminals. (Privacy Clearing Rights).

Hackers do not discriminate against what type of organization they are breaking through.  They have targeted educational institutions, healthcare providers, governmental agencies, financial and insurance services, retail businesses and nonprofits.  The data they have hacked has fallen prey to criminals.  Let me state this again, nonprofits have also become data breach victims.  To date reported nonprofit breaches have exposed over 2 million records of data to hackers.  (Privacy Clearing Rights.)

So, what can you do to protect your nonprofit’s data?  Be diligent in your cyber security practices and be sure that anyone who has access to your organization’s computer is educated on your data security procedures.  This includes paid staff and volunteers. 

Jennifer Chandler from the National Council of Nonprofits has compiled a listing of security steps to follow to help protect your valuable data.
1.  Be careful of email attachments and web links.
2.  Use separate personal and business computers, mobile devices and accounts.
3. Do not connect personal or untrusted storage devices or hardware into computers, mobile devices or networks.
4.  Be careful downloading software.
5.  Watch out when providing personal or business information.
6.  Watch for harmful pop-ups.
7.  Use strong passwords.
8.  Change passwords every 3 months.
9.  Conduct online business more securely.

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM).  This is an annual campaign to raise awareness about the importance of cyber security.  NCSAM is designed to engage and educate public and private sector partners through events and initiatives to raise awareness about the importance of cyber security, provide them with tools and resources needed to stay safe online.  To learn more about NCSAM or access their cybersecurity toolkit visit the U.S. Department of Homeland Security at https://www.dhs.gov/national-cyber-security-awareness-month.

This is an excellent time to review your cybersecurity practices and ensure you are doing everything you can to protect your organization and the people you serve.
  
 
 
Resources:
Protect the Future of Your Nonprofit's Data.  Chandler, Jennifer.  
https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/thought-leadership/protect-the-future-of-your-nonprofit-s-data.
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​Privacy Clearing Rights.  https://www.privacyrights.org/data-breaches.