Charities are increasingly reliant on IT and technology and are falling victim to a range of malicious cyber activity. As the Charity Sector Threat Report illustrates, losing access to this technology, having funds stolen or suffering a data breach through a cyber attack can be devastating, both financially and reputationally. This article provides links to resources and advice that are available to support charities with their cyber security.
Advice from NI Cyber Security Centre to reduce your risks of cyber crime
By following a few simple steps, you will reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim of cyber crime.
Turn on Multi Factor Authentication (MFA)
- You need more than a password to protect your online accounts and enabling MFA makes you significantly less likely to get hacked. Enable MFA on all your online accounts that offer it, especially email, social media and financial accounts.
Use strong passwords
- Strong passwords are long, random, unique and include all four character types (uppercase, lowercase, numbers and symbols). Password managers are a powerful tool to help you create strong passwords for each of your accounts.
Update software
- Ensuring your software is up-to-date is the best way to make sure you have the latest security patches and updates on your devices. Regularly check for updates if automatic updates are not available.
Recognise and report Phishing
- Be cautious of unsolicited messages asking for personal information. Avoid sharing sensitive information or credentials with unknown sources. Report phishing attempts and delete the message.
- Book onto the NICVA and NICSC joint FREE online session on 8 October on Phishing Awareness
Other resources from NICSC
Patch and Prepare | NI Cyber Security Centre
Secure Your Home | NI Cyber Security Centre
Protect yourself from being smished! | NI Cyber Security Centre
Phishing Awareness online session
This one-hour phishing awareness and prevention workshop on 7 November from 11am to 12noon aims to educate participants about the dangers of phishing attacks and how to equip them with the knowledge of how to recognise and respond to these threats effectively.
This session delivered by the NI Cyber Security Centre will cover various phishing tactics and best practice for safeguarding personal and organisational information from these threats.
National Cyber Security Centre Small Charity Guide
NCSC can help you to feel better-armed to face the challenges that come with such rapid technological advancement, and although they can't guarantee protection from all types of cyber attack, following the advice in the Cyber Security: Small Charity Guide will significantly increase your protection from the most common types of cyber crime.
The guide includes free and low-cost advice and tips in five areas:
- Backing up your data
- Keeping your smartphones (and tablets) safe
- Preventing malware damage
- Avoiding phishing attacks
- Using passwords to protect your data
How to deal with a cyber incident
The National Cyber Security Centre have lots of useful resources and templates for charities. There is specific advice and guidance on how to deal with a cyber incident - please have a look at this to prepare yourself should you experience an attack.
Free cyber plan - you can answer a few simple questions to get a free personalised action plan that lists what you or your organisation can do right now to protect against cyber attack.
Stay protected online with a Cyber Action Plan - NCSC.GOV.UK
Five resources for building cyber security in your charity
NICVA has developed a range of resources in partnership with expert agencies specifically for the VCS.
Five resources for building cyber security in small charities | NICVA
