The loss of data due to security breaches and other forms of Internet crime is a serious issue that all of us must face. Being able to keep one’s data secure is a significant challenge, whether one is an individual, a for-profit business such as a bank, or even a nonprofit organisation.

Sobering Statistics About Data Loss – it’s a Global Issue

According to a worldwide survey sponsored by Acronis,  nearly 1 in 3 have suffered from a loss of data due to malware and other security issues.  The survey also found that most of us would be willing to pay $500 or more in order to recover the lost files and other digital information.

The fact that most of us are willing to pay to retrieve our lost data isn’t just good news for security companies. It’s also plenty of motivation for computer hackers to continue to develop even more sophisticated ways to infiltrate PCs and other platforms in order steal information and hold it hostage until individuals and organisations pay a ransom in an attempt to recover their lost data.

Tips to Protect Your NFP from Data Loss

As an NFP, you have a fiduciary duty to ensure that you are taking steps to protect all of your nonprofit’s data, from financial information, to personal and demographic data that you may have collected from donors, volunteers, staff, service recipients and other stakeholders.  Follow these tips to help protect your NFP from data loss.

Update Frequently

Update your security software frequently, as well as your general operating systems and other software. Most of these updates not only contain fixes that make your programs run faster and more smoothly, they oftentimes contain patches that make it more difficult for hackers to exploit vulnerabilities in the software.

Don’t Forget to Backup Your Data

Should your computer or other digital platform become compromised, the last thing that you want to do is reward the hackers and thieves that have stolen or otherwise corrupted your data.  So, backup your data frequently on to either a removable disc that can be stored separately from your computer. Better still; backup your information to a secure cloud server so that you don’t have to worry about misplacing the backup disc or losing it to a fire, flood or other natural event.

Avoid Phishing and Other Scams

Did you receive an email from a suspicious source, or receive one that contains questionable information, instructions or links? Don’t open it! Be careful what sites you visit on your platform and avoid clicking on links that may be cleverly disguised malware or other Phishing attack schemes.

Practice Good Physical Control of Information

While Internet crime is on the rise, not all data loss is due to breaches of security that occur solely online.  You can reduce your NFP’s chances of data loss by ensuring good practices are followed to protect data in person.

Take the time to ensure that everyone in your NFP is using secure means to log on to your system, this means making certain that users are actually changing the default password and using one that they personalise, that they know to change it regularly and are not writing it down or sharing it with others.  Where possible, enable two-step verification where users will need more than one password in order to access sensitive systems and data.

And don’t forget to make sure that proper controls are in place throughout your organisation. From your cash handling procedures to staff and volunteers that handle intake and other data, ensure that there is oversight, monitoring and accountability in all procedures that involve data collection, recording and retrieval.

While data loss is a serious problem for everyone, taking a few steps to safeguard your NFP’s data will go a long way to reduce the odds that your NFP will be a victim of theft or other security breach.