Cybersecurity, Simplified

Although there's little chance of fully simplifying cybersecurity, it's true that solutions like managed IT services can help make the involved tasks more straightforward.

For example, one of the most important things to know before implementing any cybersecurity solution is what, exactly, you're defending against. As such, it's especially helpful for nonprofit organizations to review the cybersecurity threats most relevant to their particular line of work:

Uninformed staff

Many people involved in a nonprofit organization are everyday individuals who have volunteered their time. As such, they may have backgrounds completely unrelated to cybersecurity--which means they may not be aware of all the latest risks, scams, and threats. To address this particular issue, nonprofit organizations should make sure to help teach good security habits to all new employees or volunteers.

Data theft

Nonprofits represent a wealth of sensitive personal information--a huge temptation for cybercriminals. This makes nonprofit organizations more vulnerable than they may realize. The first step in overcoming this challenge is to understand why and how nonprofits are targeted; the next step is to ensure proper data storage techniques and implement security features at every step of the data creation process.

Inefficient budget utilization

Although nonprofit organizations tend to have tight budgets, it is possible to utilize those budgets for effective cybersecurity measures--as long as the right solutions are in place, that is. Unfortunately, it's far too easy to fall into the trap of implementing every affordable cybersecurity tool and ending up with a tangled mess instead of pragmatically choosing solutions that actually fit. As such, savvy budget utilization is a key step in creating strong cybersecurity practices.

Conclusion

The truth about cybersecurity threats to nonprofit organizations is that they're mostly internal--like a lack of IT education or inefficient budget utilization. Luckily, once these risks are brought to light, nonprofit teams can come together to overcome them and put the focus back on external threats like cybercriminals and their scams.