π‘οΈ Cybersecurity in the Charity Sector: Tips and Must-Haves!
Charities are increasingly becoming targets for cybercriminals. With sensitive data, limited resources, and a high level of trust from the public, charities must protect themselves from cybercrime. Educating staff with regular cybersecurity awareness training is only one element, there is so much more to consider.
π₯ Did you know?
In the UK, 32% of charities experienced a cyberattack in the last 12 months.
Source: UK Government Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2024
π¨ Why Are Charities Targeted?
Charities handle:
- Personal donor and beneficiary data
- Financial transactions
- Emails and social accounts
- High-trust communications
Unfortunately, these make them a goldmine for cybercriminals. Globally, charities are the second-most-targeted sector by nation-state attacks.
Source: Microsoft Digital Defense Report
β οΈ Top Cyber Threats Facing Charities
1. π£ Phishing Emails
Used in 94% of breaches. Fake donation requests, login pages, or CEO impersonation scams are rampant.
2. π» Malware & Ransomware
Disrupt operations and leak sensitive data. Only 2β14% of charities have protection against this.
Source: Gov UK Breaches Survey 2024
3. π§ Social Engineering
Fake donation pages on social media are growing fast.
A recent study found 832 fake donation accounts across platforms.
Source: Academia.edu Cyber Fraud Study
4. π Supply Chain Vulnerabilities
54% of breaches now originate via third-party vendors.
Source: IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2023
ποΈ Real-World Charity Breaches
- Albyn Housing Society: 10GB of staff and tenant data leaked via ransomware.
Source: The Record News - Nationally significant charity attacks have doubled in the past year.
Source: UK NCSC
π§° Essential Cyber Hygiene for Charities
βοΈ Firewalls & Anti-Virus
βοΈ Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
βοΈ Strong Password Policies
βοΈ Regular Backups (offsite + encrypted)
βοΈ System Updates & Patches
β οΈ Only 23% of charities have formal patching policies.
Source: Gov UK Survey 2024
π§βπ« Governance & Staff Awareness
- 26% of charities did a cyber risk assessment in 2024
- Only 30% of boards assign cybersecurity responsibility
- Just 20β21% provide regular staff training
- Only 22% have an incident response plan
Sources: Gov UK Survey + NCSC Charity Guide
π Advanced Cyber Solutions
β Cyber Essentials Certification
- Only 3% of UK charities are certified
- Gives credibility & lowers breach risk
π§ AI & Zero Trust
- Organisations using AI security save $1.76M in breach costs
Source: IBM Security Report
π‘οΈ Cyber Insurance
- Only 34% of charities are insured
- Coverage can be crucial for ransomware recovery
ποΈ 7-Step Charity Cybersecurity Plan
| β Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Assign a cybersecurity lead at board level |
| 2 | Conduct a basic cyber risk assessment |
| 3 | Implement firewalls, antivirus & secure backups |
| 4 | Train staff to spot phishing & fake pages |
| 5 | Create and rehearse an incident response plan |
| 6 | Apply for Cyber Essentials certification |
| 7 | Monitor vendors, update software, and consider insurance |
β€οΈ Why It Matters
- 𧱠Protect Your Mission: Donβt let breaches halt your work.
- π€ Maintain Donor Trust: Cyber breaches damage credibility.
- πΈ Avoid Fines & Disruption: GDPR penalties and downtime can be costly.
π’ βCybersecurity is not just a tech issue. Itβs a mission-critical issue.β