Charities often hold information that would be valuable to cybercriminals, so we’re providing resources organizations can use to protect themselves and their information from cyberattacks.
News reports of cybersecurity breaches often describe attacks on large corporations or governmental entities where confidential or personal information is compromised, putting consumers at risk of identity theft. Charities may not believe they face similar risks or they may fail to invest energy in protecting the data they have, but information about donors, details about clients, files about employees, records about business operations, and other information that charities possess can be valuable to cybercriminals. The public release of that information could create financial harm for your partners and damage the credibility of your organization.
Cyber crooks target not just large organizations but small ones, too. So whether your organization has an IT staff professional who takes care of security issues, or whether you take care of your systems yourself, make it a priority to use sound practices that will help protect your valuable information.
To assist nonprofits, staff from the Ohio Attorney General’s CyberOhio Initiative created a webinar on cybersecurity issues for charities. The webinar is available online and can be watched at your convenience. It provides multiple steps that leaders of small or large organizations can take to reduce their risks of a breach and protect the valuable information they have.
Among the topics discussed in the webinar are:
- Cyber threats, including social engineering and human error.
- Viewing cybersecurity as a journey, not a destination.
- Giving employees access only to the information they need to do their jobs.
- Instructing employees to lock their computers when they step away from their desks.
- Steps to take in a day, a month, and a year to improve cybersecurity.
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine created CyberOhio to strengthen the cybersecurity landscape in Ohio. CyberOhio, which is guided by an advisory board of experts, is a collection of cybersecurity initiatives aimed at providing the best possible legal, technical, and collaborative cybersecurity environment.
Additional information is available online and through the Attorney General’s “Data Breach Prevention and Response Guide for Small Business and Charities,” which outlines a number of approaches to help enhance the security of your valuable information and develop a strategy to respond to a breach.