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Nonprofit organisations, or not-for-profit (NFPs) companies, like any other companies, are still susceptible to cyber attacks. NFPs are inherently vulnerable as they hold data on some of the country’s most important community members.
According to Megan Ward, senior internal and external communications at TPx, “Like any organisation that accepts money, nonprofits are a prime target for cybercriminals. And because so many now accept online payments, they have to store personally identifiable information (PII) for their donors. This is exactly the type of data that cybercriminals would love to get their hands on so they could exploit it or sell it to the highest bidder.”
Ward added that the risk profile for NFPs is different from for-profit organisations. For example, NFPs do not have high-profile company secrets that other companies would want to steal, hiring threat actors. However, NFPs have begun using online payment options and, in doing so, are attracting many threat actors.
Cybercriminals aim to get sensitive information such as donor banking information, bank accounts that manage funds, and personal data of full-time employees and thousands of volunteers.
Cybersecurity experts recommend that NFPs take the necessary steps to safeguard themselves against threat actors. According to Bilal Ahmad, blogger and website owner techmaish.com, NFPs should consider using Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) solutions to “manage critical relationships with their donors, volunteers, and other constituents, deliver personalised care, streamline service delivery, and accelerate their impact. While CRM software should be easy-to-use, robust, and useful, it should also be secure. Look for CRM solutions with secure data management.”
Ahmad also recommends that NFPs conduct thorough background checks on all new employees and utilise anti-malware technology. The blogger also highly recommends that NFPs learn more about phishing and maintain a regular cadence of creating backups of their data in secure and encrypted locations. NFPs can get help from third-party companies to help them practise cyber hygiene and equip them with defences against cyber criminals.
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