5 Critical Components of a Nonprofit Cybersecurity Strategy

Incidents like the phishing attempts and website takedowns experienced by some humanitarian organizations during the Russian invasion of Ukraine are just one example of how nonprofits are finding themselves on the front lines of cyber warfare.

The CrowdStrike 2024 Global Threat Report reveals that nonprofits, especially small and medium-sized ones, are increasingly targeted by bad actors leveraging sophisticated attack methods. According to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), resource-constrained organizations are particularly susceptible to social engineering attacks and other common threats.

From budget constraints leading to outdated systems to lack of dedicated IT staff, nonprofits face a unique set of cybersecurity challenges that make them attractive targets for cybercriminals. This fact underscores an urgent need for nonprofits to take stock of their cybersecurity strategies.

In this blog, we discuss proven cybersecurity practices and five practical steps that nonprofits can take to safeguard their valuable data, intellectual property and business operations.

A cybersecurity policy is crucial to protecting your organization’s data, systems and networks. The first step in developing a robust policy and strategy is understanding the types of cybersecurity threats that can target your organization and identifying how prepared you are to withstand them.

Common risks to nonprofits include:

• Phishing and social engineering attacks: These attacks exploit human vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information, systems or networks.
• Data breaches: Exposing sensitive donor information can lead to identity theft, financial loss and reputational damage.
• Ransomware attacks: These attacks can disrupt operations and demand hefty ransoms for data recovery.

Equally important to understanding cyberthreats is the internal assessment of vulnerabilities within your IT environment so that you can identify areas of concern and prioritize actions to improve your security posture. This assessment should include an inventory of digital assets, such as sensitive donor information, financial data and intellectual property.

Understanding both internal vulnerabilities and external threats lays the groundwork for developing a comprehensive cybersecurity policy and risk-management strategy. Such a strategy should encompass regular updates and maintenance, compliance considerations and knowledge sharing.

Regular Updates and Maintenance

Regularly updating software, systems and security protocols is crucial for maintaining a strong cybersecurity posture. Outdated systems are more vulnerable to cyberthreats, as they often have known vulnerabilities that can be exploited by hackers. By regularly applying patches and updates, nonprofits can close potential security gaps and reduce the risk of a successful cyberattack. We’ll discuss this more in a moment.

Compliance Frameworks

Compliance frameworks provide guidelines for organizations to follow when implementing their cybersecurity strategies. Security frameworks like NIST help ensure that nonprofits are meeting industry standards and regulatory requirements for data protection. Nonprofits should choose a framework that best suits their needs and regularly review and update it to reflect emerging threats and technological advancements.

Collaboration and Information Sharing

When it comes to cybersecurity, nonprofits can benefit greatly from collaboration and information sharing. By working together with other organizations in the nonprofit sector or partnering with cybersecurity experts, nonprofits can share knowledge and resources to strengthen their defense against cyberthreats. Information sharing can also help nonprofits stay apprised of emerging threats and best practices for mitigating them.

It’s no surprise that nonprofit organizations are especially vulnerable to cybersecurity threats when an alarming 70% lack incident response (IR) capabilities. This fact is likely tied to the resource constraints many of these organizations face. However, should a security incident occur, the potential detriment to an organization’s operations, data integrity and overall mission is too great to ignore. 

Having an IR plan at the ready can minimize damage and reduce recovery time, should a cyber incident occur. This plan should include clear roles and responsibilities for responding to a cyberattack, steps for isolating affected systems and procedures for notifying stakeholders and reporting incidents to authorities.

Standard components of an incident response plan include:

• Identification: Detect and identify the nature of the cyber incident.
  
• Containment: Isolate affected systems to prevent further damage.
  
• Eradication: Remove the threat from the environment.
  
• Recovery: Restore systems and data to normal operations.
  
• Lessons learned: Analyze the incident to improve future response strategies.

Conducting regular drills to test the continuity of your IR plan will help ensure effectiveness. By formalizing and regularly updating these protocols, nonprofits can significantly boost cyber resilience capabilities, improve business continuity and recover more swiftly. For example, organizations that implement intensive incident response planning and testing plans save an average of $1.5M when a breach occurs, according to a recent IBM Security report.

There are several key areas every organization should consider when implementing cybersecurity policies to protect their data and ensure its longevity. For example, establishing strong access controls and frequently updating software and systems are integral to any cybersecurity policy.

Nonprofits must establish strong password policies, including multifactor authentication for all accounts. Employee access should be limited based on their roles and responsibilities, with privileged access closely monitored and regularly reviewed. Network security measures such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and web filtering can also help prevent unauthorized access to networks and data.

Outdated software and systems are prime targets for cybercriminals looking to exploit known vulnerabilities. Nonprofits should implement a patch management process that ensures all software and systems are regularly updated with the latest security patches. Additionally, nonprofits should retire outdated and unsupported systems as they are more vulnerable to attacks.

Regular risk assessments help nonprofits identify potential vulnerabilities and develop effective mitigation strategies. This is crucial because it ensures the organization can proactively address issues before they escalate. By identifying risks early, nonprofits can allocate their efforts and funds more efficiently, improve their resilience and maintain the trust of their donors and beneficiaries. In an increasingly uncertain environment, consistent risk management is key to long-term sustainability and success.

Here is an outline of important data security and governance policies your organization should implement:

Data Protection Policies

• Data encryption and regular backups: Ensure backups are indelible and immutable to prevent tampering.
• Multifactor authentication and strong password policies: Enforce these measures to add layers of security.
• Identity and access management (IAM): Control who has access to data and how they access it securely.

Best Practices for Governance

• Keep software and systems updated: Regularly apply patches to close security gaps.
• Monitor and log network activities: Detect anomalies and potential threats.
• Zero trust network access (ZTNA): Implement components of ZTNA to ensure secure and reduced latency access to data.

Retaining and Protecting Large Amounts of Critical Data

• Utilize secure cloud services: Choose providers with robust security features.
• Role-based access controls: Limit data access based on user roles to minimize risk.

Process of Threat and Vulnerability Management

• Identify potential vulnerabilities and threats: Regularly review and update your risk profile.
• Evaluate impact and likelihood: Assess the potential consequences and probability of threats.
• Penetration testing: Conduct yearly tests to identify and address vulnerabilities.
• Incident response strategy: Develop and test your response plan.
• Compliance framework: Choose a framework to guide your cybersecurity efforts if no regulatory compliance is in place.
  
   

Human error remains one of the biggest factors in cybersecurity incidents. This can include mistakes such as clicking on phishing emails, using weak passwords or accidentally sharing sensitive information. Needless to say, training staff and regular volunteers on how to recognize and respond to threats is essential.

Often, employees act as the first line of defense against potential threats. Your employees should learn how to identify suspicious activities, understand the importance of strong passwords and follow best practices for data protection. Simulated phishing attacks, for example, can provide employees with hands-on experience identifying suspicious activity and following best practices, such as reporting phishing emails.

By prioritizing security education and training, organizations can significantly reduce the risk of cybersecurity breaches and protect their valuable information.

Implementing a robust cybersecurity strategy can seem overwhelming, but it is essential to protect your nonprofit's valuable data. Cybersecurity is a journey, and understanding where you are in this journey is crucial. Partnering with security experts like CDW Security can assist with specialized security assessments to help you identify and address unique vulnerabilities.

Partnering with the experts also gives you access to specialized knowledge and resources your organization may lack internally. From helping you implement advanced security technologies and protocols to customized employee training, and fast and effective incident response, our dedicated nonprofit and security teams can help you build a robust defense against cyberthreats.