While the nonprofit world works to provide vulnerable populations with better outcomes, cybercriminals see a unique gap in this market that pertains to the industry as a whole – their own vulnerability to cyber-attacks.
It’s no secret that a lot of nonprofits become attractive targets for online criminals, especially smaller or younger organisations that are notoriously limited in resources and reserves. However, that’s not to say that cyberattacks are limited to smaller nonprofits only. In 2022, The International Committee of the Red Cross experienced one of the biggest data breaches in the industry, exposing the identities of over 500,000 vulnerable people.
Lack of funding, unexpected costs and a prioritised interest in the overarching purpose of the organisation can oftentimes translates to tighter budgets and therefore, limited access to strong and robust IT support. In addition, outdated technology coupled with a lack of documented cybersecurity policies and emergency response plans creates even greater holes in IT security. Now, throw in the risks that accompany collaborating with third-party vendors or partners, and we have a serious recipe for technological disaster. While this can feel unavoidable given the circumstances, knowledge in this instance is definitely power.
What Motivates Cyberattacks on Nonprofits?
The motivation behind most cyber-attacks in the nonprofit space is financial gain, with cyber criminals seeking ransom payments or access to sensitive, highly valuable financial data. As the nonprofit sector works with delicate information on vulnerable populations, this data becomes a goldmine for malicious activity and proceedings, including fraud and identity theft. However, some attacks can be attributed to political, ideological or social reasons that aim to derail or disrupt specific causes or provide humanitarian aid. In short, there are various reasons that cybercriminals target nonprofits, so while your IT systems might not seem like a number one priority, it’s more important than ever to protect yourself against the reality of these threats.
What Are The Most Reported Cyberattack Methods on Nonprofits?
1. Phishing
While phishing is a concern in every industry, employees of the nonprofit industry are as prone to revealing sensitive information or downloading malicious spyware through phishing emails which outwardly appear totally legitimate.
2. Ransomware
The lack of a robust IT setup can leave nonprofits particularly susceptible to ransomware, where attackers encrypt critical data and demand a ransom for its release. Without the added layer of protection of a reliable backup system, the impact of these attacks are significantly exacerbated.
3. Data Breaches
As mentioned earlier, the volume of sensitive data (including the data of donors and beneficiaries) makes nonprofits a very appealing target for data breaches.
4. Distributed Denial of Service
Remember when we spoke about attacks that are motivated by things other than financial gain? These coordinated attacks are designed to overwhelm an organisation’s online services with traffic, making them virtually inaccessible.
5. Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attacks
Yep, it’s exactly how it sounds. With MitM attacks, attackers intercept communications between two parties, often altering information without either party’s knowledge. The result of this can be financial losses and data breaches.
How Can Nonprofits Improve Their Cybersecurity?
With the not-for-profit industry being one of the primary categories I work with, here are some quick, easy and effective measures I usually implement with my clients.
- Backing it up: Implement regular data backup procedures (can be through a reliable managed cloud service) to ensure that business critical and important data can be restored in the case of an attack.
- Stay up-to-date on updates: Regularly update software and systems to patch any weak areas or vulnerabilities. This simple measure can prevent many cyber threats alone.
- Capitalise on software discounts for nonprofits: Many tech companies offer discounted or even free products to nonprofits, such as free licenses for security features to qualifying organisations. For a list of these resources, click here.
- Have a cybersecurity policy in place: It sounds simple enough, but you’d be surprised at how many organisations skip this detail. With a clear policy highlighting the ins and outs of data handling, proper access controls and how to respond to incidents, a documented policy can help guide employees to maintain security standards and respond effectively to incidents.
- Engage a technology provider who understands nonprofits: Choosing a reliable IT service for nonprofit business who understands the unique eco system of a nonprofit, as well as the distinct challenges they face can make a significant difference. For example, we operate on a no-surprises-no-risk pricing model to ensure that unexpected expenses don’t suddenly derail a strained budget or have costly implications in the long run.
Heading up an NFP and need to improve your cybersecurity on a budget? Contact our IT consultants today.
