Tips to Make Your Nonprofit’s Database More Secure

Nonprofits store invaluable financial and personal data of their donors and clients, increasing their vulnerability to hackers and other ill-intended persons. Data safety and security are crucial to prevent breaches, which can result in reduced donations, reputation damage, and legal implications. While security technology can be overwhelming for nonprofits, enacting simple policies can protect sensitive data and reduce risk. Below are seven tips for boosting your nonprofit’s database security.

Secure Mobile Devices

Nonprofits have numerous employees working outside the office. For instance, caseworkers spend a significant part of their time in the field attending meetings and visiting clients. To perform their duties, they must access crucial data through their mobile phones or tablets. As a result, nonprofits must devise a way to secure mobile devices and protect sensitive data from theft and unauthorized access.

An excellent way to protect mobile devices is to use passwords, biometrics, encryption, install antivirus and update software. Cloud-based mobility management software like Meraki Systems Manager can also help nonprofits control mobile and desktop devices accessing crucial organization data.

Train Contributors

Training all contributors is among the most basic but essential ways to secure a nonprofit’s database. A contributor is anyone who accesses or edits data, from the system manager all the way to caseworkers and volunteers. These contributors should be trained on best practices for securing data, possible risks, and how to prevent them. Most nonprofits are vulnerable to data theft, ransomware, and forced downtime.

Training ascertains that all staff use and navigate the database safely. Also, it promotes data quality by stating the persons responsible for entering and modifying data in the database. This reduces costly data entry errors and data duplication. During training, staff and volunteers learn the rules and procedures for using the database.

Apply Least Privilege Access

Many nonprofits allow all users to access their entire database, from donors to clients and organizational operations. Although such an approach is convenient for all users, it can be problematic and jeopardize sensitive data.

It is best practice to use the least privilege access principle whereby users obtain the minimal data necessary to perform their tasks. Users only access the information they need to do their duties and don’t get unnecessary data, lowering the risk of unauthorized access. When one user compromises their account, only a small portion of your database will be exposed, not the entire system.

Leverage Multi-factor Authentication

Research shows that 80% of cyber breaches emanate from weak or stolen passwords. Nonprofits can employ multi-factor authentication (MFA) to protect passwords.

In the same vein, integrating a robust email verifier into your nonprofit’s communication protocols can significantly enhance security by ensuring that all contact data remains accurate and protected from misuse.

MFA offers an added security layer for users and their data while lessening the risk of data breaches and account takeovers.

MFA typically requires employees to undergo a two-step verification process before accessing a system or data. Apart from the standard username and password, an employee must offer additional information to gain access to a system. This can be a specific ID card number or a one-time code sent to their phone or email. MFA appeals to nonprofits because it is easy to use, customizable to an organization’s needs, and cost-effective.

Clean Up Data

A clean database protects valuable information and makes it easy to retrieve and store data. Here are several ways to maintain a clean database for your nonprofit. First, remove inactive accounts by deactivating users who last used their accounts a while ago. They can be accounts for temporary employees, former staff, or volunteers. Such accounts offer a highway for hackers to access your database.

Second, avoid shared accounts –opt for dedicated accounts. Although shared accounts are easy to use and cost-effective, they can mess up your database. They can lead to inaccurate or lost data since activity is not traceable to a single user. Third, update your contact information to get rid of invalid addresses, deceased contacts, and duplicate data. Besides cleaning up the database, this measure offers useful insights into the number of people receiving email campaigns.

Data Backup

Numerous scenarios may result in data failure, including software failure, data corruption, malicious attack, or accidental data deletion. Backup is handy in these cases, ensuring you have a copy of crucial data. In fact, backing up data is a proactive approach to data security. Your nonprofit should have a data backup plan, stipulating the type of data to back up and frequency –daily, weekly, or monthly.

Other Tips

Keeping your nonprofit’s database security is a journey, not a destination. Here are more tips for achieving this.

●        Use complex and dedicated passwords

●        Install and update antivirus software

●        Lock your computer when not in use

●        Comply with the organizational privacy policy

●        Get permission to install software on your desktop

●        Promptly report security incidents that compromise organizational data, such as loss and theft

●        Dispose of used computers and IT equipment properly –get rid of all data before disposal

Security technology from antivirus software to multi-factor authentication and data backups can confuse nonprofits, especially small ones with limited security expertise. Luckily, maintaining a high database security level does not require vast knowledge and resources. The simple but effective tips above can make your organization’s database more secure, making investors and recipients happy.