With an increase in online donations, charities are no less vulnerable than any other organisation when it comes to cyberattacks, and with the costs of being unprepared so high, this is something charities can ill afford. David Emm, Principal Researcher at Kaspersky Lab commented below.
David Emm, Principal Researcher at Kaspersky Lab:
Every charity with some form of online presence can be attacked – through a direct hack, ransomware, fraudulent e-mails and phishing attacks – which leaves the charity itself, its donors and other stakeholders at increased risk.
Charities are a big target for cybercriminals because they have valuable data, including personal information, which is of huge value to attackers. It can also result in the loss of funds, affect a charity’s ability to help those in need and damage its reputation.
It is important that charities realise they have a responsibility to implement procedures for recognising and responding to these threats, particularly because of the vast amount of personal and financial information that they hold. Charities need to do more to educate their staff and ensure they dedicate enough time and resources as any other organisation would to improve their cyber-security and protect their assets.”