There’s been a lot in the news this year about Security, and much of it has been targeted toward Facebook. As you know, almost 90 million users of the platform were affected by the Facebook data breach. Every day, hackers and criminals are looking for victims of opportunity, including nonprofit organizations, so they can steal data and information, or at least cause some havoc by taking control of accounts.

Fortunately, data and privacy have come back into the forefront as an essential topic of discussion, but what practical things can you do to protect your organization’s information on Facebook?

One of the first things your nonprofit has to do is think through the problem of data security. There are at least three fundamental questions you should ask about your Facebook accounts and data.

1. Are you upholding your own privacy standards in your Facebook activities?

In other words, think about your data policy (do you have one?). If not, this is one of the first things you should consider doing. Social Media Today has an excellent resource for how to do just that!

2. Do you have any security exposure?

Facebook has stated that it is making information about security and privacy more straightforward to understand. There are many third-party articles on the internet, but if you can also refer to the Facebook Basic Privacy Settings and Tools page.

3. Are third-party petitions and contest sites still going to be an effective email capture tool as people update their security settings and attitudes about sharing their personal information?

Think about that as it relates to your donors. And, if you’re interested in making sure that you’re not unwittingly providing your information to third parties, How-To Geek offers easy to follow information on how to configure your settings.

Privacy and security have been one of the top conversations on social media and also with all kinds of industries, including Nonprofits. The public, including your donors, volunteers and champions are taking a closer look at their security settings.

Earlier this year, you probably experienced a flood of emails from all types of corporations, businesses, nonprofits and––essentially anyone gathering data––that changed their terms of service for the data and information they collect. It was prompted by the new laws that went into effect in Europe, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), that affect any organization (including those in the U.S.) that captures information of residents and citizens of Europe, including on social media platforms. A recent Forbes article explains the GDPR further and its impact on nonprofits.

3 Very Easy Security Steps

One of the things that happen with small nonprofit or volunteer-driven nonprofits is that the little things are missed because there’s just so much to get done. Therefore, here are three very simple things you should do­­––right now––to ensure a higher level of security for your nonprofit.

1. Update your passwords regularly. Yes, this is a pain, but having a policy where passwords are changed monthly or quarterly makes sense to lower the chances that your information is used without your consent. Use two-factor authentication, and you can also use a digital password platform like 1Password, so you have a single password, which is encrypted.
2. Logout of shared devices. Often, particularly in offices, or if you’re traveling, you might end up using a device that is not yours. When you’re done, even if it’s in the comfort of your office, log out of the platforms that you’ve used on someone else’s computer, laptop, tablet or even mobile phone.
3. Keep your anti-virus software up to date. Every day someone is sitting in a room trying to create a virus that will infect your computer so that they can get access to your data, or even that of your contact list. One of the simplest things to do to prevent this from happening is always to ensure that your anti-virus software is up to date, and yes, this also applies to Apple Mac products. Don’t take the risk.

We hope that you’ve found this information to be informative in helping you protect your nonprofit’s data! And, remember that we’re always putting out easy ideas and tips, so make sure to follow us on our YouTube channel and like our Facebook page.

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