Wise Giving Wednesday: Cybersecurity Awareness Month Tips for Donors & Charities

As October shines a spotlight on digital safety, it’s the perfect time for both donors and charities to take stock of their cybersecurity habits.

Help Protect Digital Generosity This Giving Season

As the air cools and we pull our favorite sweatshirts from the closet, while pumpkin lattes appear at local coffee shops, we know it’s that time of year. Well, yes, Halloween is just around the corner, but October is also Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

Both donors and charities need to take precautions to protect themselves from cybercrime. Although we may all benefit from stepping away from our screens more often, online transactions are here to stay. And, with the holiday season around the corner, people will be looking to give online, and charities depend on this seasonal giving.

Smart Online Giving: Cybersecurity Tips for Donors

Whether you're giving through a website, mobile app, or supporting a cause you found on social media, here are some essential tips to help you give confidently and securely this season.

• Use strong passwords: Create passwords that are long enough and unique. Also, update your passwords frequently. If you’re still using your first pet’s name and your birth year, it’s time for a change.
• Verify before giving on social media: Just because your cousin’s friend links to a donation request on social media doesn’t mean the charity is trustworthy. The same goes for charity ads on social media. Do the legwork by vetting the charity to give with confidence. See if they meet each of the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability.
• Watch out for similar sounding names: Charity names can sound alike. Sometimes it’s because charities are raising money for the same cause, other times it’s because questionable groups are seeking to confuse you. Visit our alphabetical list of charities or check charity websites against appeals to make sure your donation is going to the right group.
• Be wary of online links: Clicking on any link you see online is a big no-no. Verify the legitimacy of email links or appeals that ask you to scan a QR code to avoid falling victim to misleading pages used by scammers to steal your personal information or data. 

Cybersecurity Recommendations for Charity Staff

For nonprofits preparing for the year-end giving season, strengthening your cybersecurity posture can help protect your mission, your data, and your donors.

• Educate staff on security risks: Make sure your staff knows to be alert to suspicious emails, communications, links and attachments. This helps protect staff from malware and phishing-related viruses.
• Secure organizational devices: Ensure teleworking staff are using organizational computers only. Charities can’t be sure that employees’ personal devices are as secure as those used by the organization.
• Use malware protection: Charities should subscribe to malware and virus protection services. This can protect organizational computers from malicious program downloads.
• Backup data regularly: Frequent backups help protect critical information from ransomware attacks and accidental loss.
• Enforce password security: Encourage staff to use stronger, more secure passwords to enhance overall security. Two-step verification processes can act as a further safeguard. 

Recent Reports

We are always working with charities to publish or update reports for donors. Visit Give.org or local BBBs to check out any charity before giving. Our recently evaluated charities include:

• The Assistance Fund, Inc
• HOPE worldwide
• American Consumer Institute Center for Citizen Research

Finally, remember to let us know by going to give.org/charity-inquiry if you are interested in seeing a report on a charity not on the list and we will do our best to produce one.