How can you avoid technology risks in non-profits?

To help avoid technology risks, it is essential to go beyond simple awareness and gain a comprehensive understanding of your existing technological landscape. This can be achieved through conducting a thorough technology audit, which serves as the foundation for informed decision-making. When doing an audit, you will assess your hardware, software, network configurations, data management practices, and security measures. By scrutinizing these elements, you can pinpoint your strengths and assets, weaknesses and deficiencies. This will help you proactively address potential risks or vulnerabilities. This is proactive approach will also enable you to make strategic choices that align with your organization's goals and values.

Conduct a gap analysis and understand where you are today on your journey. Use your network of contacts and events to help understand are you behind, inline or ahead of others. Don't compare yourself ot other charties, it's a business so compare yourself to other companies.

Non-profit risk mitigation is no different from any other type of operating business in relation to approaching information security practices. The two dimensions that will typically be slightly specific will be their operating mission and primary geography of operation. These two dimensions will likely increase/decrease likelihood and impact of negative events and/or attract specific bad actors. Aside for that, it is a matter of budget, focus and prioritization.

The vast majority of non-profits don’t have in-house Cyber Risk expertise. This is how you can start as a Management/Executive Team to effectively manage Digital Age Risks: - Determine and prioritize your Crown Jewels - majority of time this includes is your Membership Data, that if lost or stolen you would take a direct hit to your reputation and revenue. - Review the age of your Hardware/laptops (older than a decade) servers and business software/applications (older than 5 years if not continuously updated). - Leverage best of breed cloud based services. - As you do for Financial Risk, conduct an annual 3rd party Cyber Risk Audit or continuous Cyber Risk & Threat Monitoring as a Service.

If you don't know where to start, I recommend finding out what data privacy laws that would apply to the non-profit. That could be a local government or a more established policy like the EU's GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) or California (US) Privacy Acts like the CCPA or CPRA. Any technology risk applications would be towards mitigating any risk of breaching any of these data privacy laws. Most online (cloud) services now ensure that they are compliant with these regulations, especially GDPR, which is often noted as the strictest of them all.

Implementing a set of best practices for technology management and usage is critical for all organizations. Regular system and software updates are essential to safeguard your infrastructure from potential vulnerabilities. These updates often contain bug fixes and security patches that can enhance the security of your systems. Setting up security measures such as strong passwords and encryption techniques to protect sensitive data and devices from unauthorized access is important. Following these practices can help reduce the risk of data breaches and cyber-attacks. Training is crucial for individuals who have access to your infrastructure in order to ensure they have the knowledge needed to implement and maintain security measures.

Establish and maintain a cybersecurity awareness program to educate staff, volunteers, donors, and partners about cybersecurity best practices. This include preventing detecting social engineering and ransomware. This program can be easily financed by SME sponsors.

Cloud subscriptions maybe the best way to go. When choosing applications and platforms, consider reputable cloud solutions or apps that already comply with minimum (cyber)security & data privacy standards, like GDPR compliance, ISO 27000 series accreditation, and PCI DSS for payment gateways (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard).

To effectively measure your progress and ensure the security of your technology, it's important to establish performance metrics and security benchmarks. By regularly assessing whether you are meeting your objectives, you can identify any areas that may require improvement. System and software audits will help you identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses. Budgets can be an issue so gathering feedback from volunteers, donors, and beneficiaries regarding their technology experiences and needs can be helpful. Their insights can help you make informed decisions and enhance overall satisfaction with your organization's technology solutions.

Doing regular polls annually or a simulated phishing email would test the current state of cybersecurity and data privacy understanding among staff and volunteers. Especially when dealing with sensitive data.

In a Non-profit Organisation, it is imperative to have someone who knows about today's fast-changing technology. There are so many new AI programs and tools that can save time and money, but we also have to be careful with what we are sharing and making sure we are all compliant with data regulations.

Non-profits often rely on the support of their community, including technology professionals who might volunteer their services. Leverage local tech expertise for guidance and assistance. Non-profits can also seek volunteering services from professionals in exchange for recognition and use in their commercial communications.

To fully maximize the potential of technology and reap its benefits, businesses should be open to seeking expert advice when needed. This is particularly important for organizations with limited financial resources to hire specialized professionals. Luckily, the Internet offers a plethora of online resources and tools that can help individuals enhance their technological skills. For any non-profit corporation that aims to utilize technology to further its mission, it is vital to actively seek assistance from experts whenever they come across technological challenges or require guidance. By doing so, they can prevent their lack of knowledge from causing financial losses, resource depletion, or even potential shutdowns by regulatory bodies.

Having access to reliable resources is crucial in navigating the ever-changing landscape of technology. Fortunately, there are platforms like Techsoup.org that not only provide valuable insights on the latest technological advancements but also offer discounts on essential tools and software. For nonprofit organizations looking to optimize their technology strategy, Techsoup.org serves as a valuable asset, ensuring they can make informed decisions while maximizing their limited resources.

It is crucial to be proactive and flexible in order to effectively collaborate with other nonprofits and resources that are willing to assist in mitigating risks, as this approach can result in cost-effective solutions that align with your organization's budget. Our nonprofit is committed to fostering a culture of sharing information and resources to help in the ever-changing world of technology.

Adopting an agile mindset to manage technology risks can be highly beneficial. An agile approach encourages flexibility, collaboration, and continuous improvement, all of which are essential when working with limited resources and complex challenges caused by cybersecurity threats.

Suppose your nonprofit has not prioritized tech systems in recent years, and you find yourself a bit behind. In that case, it may be an excellent time to raise the issue with the board and request a special allocation to address the tech and security issues and look forward to how to implement AI into your environment.

Consider annual cybersecurity drills or business-continuity simulations to see how the organization is ready to respond to ransomware threats or data breaches When done right, organizations can uncover new contingency plans or better ways of mitigating the risks involved, thus protecting its reputation.

Always use the Free Trials before purchasing new AI tools. Sometimes they sound fantastic, but after trialling them you may find they are more trouble than they are worth, or they may not do what you expect them to do. Others I must admit are fantastic - but always do your homework it is well worth the time as the right tools can save hours of your time.

Look for the right tools and not the free tools but the same logic applies just because it is expensive doesn't make it the correct solution either. Find the tools that do the job in a cost effective manner, do include in your cost analysis the time and effort it takes to setup manage any tool. With increase in shadow IT investing in tools like Wing Security are a great way to see what people are doing. The old thought prices I have a firewall is no longer the only solution you need security of some sort at every touch point.

Dive into the world of TechSoup, a global organisation dedicated to empowering nonprofits with technical support and tools. With partnerships spanning hundreds, if not thousands, of tech companies (e.g. Microsoft, AWS, Adobe, Zoom, Tableau), TechSoup enables nonprofits to access tech tools either for free or at heavy discounts. Equip your organisation with top-tier tools to mitigate technological risks and propel your digital transformation journey, often at no cost! Visit their website to discover how to get these discounts in your country. With local allies across the globe, TechSoup ensures a smooth enrolment process, regardless of where your organisation is registered. ????