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information and other confidential data had been
exposed on its website. Nonprofit Quarterly reports
that the incident cost the organization $200,000
in HIPAA violation penalties, in addition to a
mandated review and report to the state attorney
general’s office. In Utah, a food bank fell victim to
a data breach involving stolen credit card numbers
for more than 10,000 donors. In cases like these,
damage goes beyond the compromised privacy
and security of individuals, presenting risks to
organizational reputation and public confidence
— effects both immeasurable and potentially
permanent.

Ensure Continuous Service to Donors and
Supporters
Having a website go down can be perilous for
any organization, but it’s especially damaging for
a nonprofit that relies on its site for donor and
volunteer outreach. The hacking of an Alabama
nonprofit, which led to the website being taken
down, was particularly bad timing as it happened
before a fundraising concert, when people needed
to access the site to buy tickets. To make matters
worse, the site had been taken over by a terrorist
sympathizer group, according to local news reports —
the last kind of publicity that any organization wants.

Set a Foundation for Future Technology Initiatives

A strong cybersecurity plan makes it possible for
nonprofits to take advantage of new and emerging
technologies without being limited by uncertainty
or fearful of unwanted consequences. As technology
continues to play a larger role in the nonprofit sector,
the ability to take full advantage of these tools will
become more important. Many of the organizations
that seek to thrive in the future may use some
combination of data analytics, virtual reality, artificial
intelligence-powered chatbots and other forward-
looking solutions. By establishing a strong security
culture now, nonprofit leaders will be able to shift
into these new realms more easily and more securely.

About the Author: Amy is managing editor of EdTech
Magazine: Focus on Higher Education

Resource Guide & Directory November 2018 INLEAGUE | PAGE 29