Online Donations: Why Gamble with the Security of your Donor's Data
In case you haven’t heard, Capital One suffered a massive data breach earlier this year. The hacker stole 106 million identities and sensitive banking information from the credit card company. According to CNN, the hacker “is accused of breaking into a Capital One server and gaining access to 140,000 Social Security numbers, 1 million Canadian Social Insurance numbers and 80,000 bank account numbers, in addition to an undisclosed number of people's names, addresses, credit scores, credit limits, balances, and other information.” Fortunately, a suspect has been arrested. However, when it comes to the sensitive information that our clients deal with, we have to wonder, why gamble with your donor information and data security?
To accept online donations and credit card payments, you need to handle donor sensitive payment information. Unfortunately, it seems as if these hacks have been happening more often. How do you know if your organization is safe? Charity organizations and donors both deserve to be reassured that your charitable giving company is not putting you at risk. Here are tips on how to be responsible and stay safe.
Being Safe is a Win-Win-Win
Why do donors want their information protected from a data breach?
Why do you need to keep donor information safe?
Why do we want to protect your online donations?
For your donors: If their information is compromised, they will have to deal with the hassles of being hacked, and potentially avoid supporting your organization in the future.
For your organization: Donor-Charity relationships are built on trust. By keeping the donor’s personal information safe and protected, you continue building on that trust and avoid the potential of data breach fines.
As consumers and donors, we understand the fear of our identities being leaked. As a company, we understand the ramifications of a data breach. It motivates us to build products and solutions that advance philanthropy yet keep us secure. We continuously update our platforms to be one step ahead and more secure by using the most advanced technologies.
Whatever software you are using for your donor information and records, it needs to be updated and encrypted. While the most popular data to protect is financial information like credit card numbers, breaches that acquire home addresses and phone numbers can result in spam mail and calls to your donors. If your online privacy policy asserts that you don’t share their information, a breach like this could leave you liable to legal action or fines.
Secure your Online Donation Platform
CharityGiving OneClick Donation™ is a simple and most secure giving platform. Your donors can give to you easily without worrying if it's safe to use because it always will be.
We use our patented technology to give you and your donors peace of mind. Donors have the opportunity to give Charitable contributions through their mobile phones and tablets whenever they please.
With CharityGiving OneClick Donation™, your donor payment information is never stored on any of our servers. With our patented technology, the donation can only be processed by the donor by using their mobile phone for an additional level of security. For more information on CharityGiving OneClick Donation™ click here
Understand and Secure Your Payment Process
In addition to online donations, there are many ways organizations collect donations. Credit card swipers, mail, email links, or even over a phone call. Keep tabs on all of these channels to ensure maximum security over said sensitive information. Here are some ways to do so:
Only allow essential personnel access to your donor’s information. If someone doesn’t need to have access to donor information, don’t give it to them. This will reduce your donor’s potential vulnerability to leaks.
An easy way to ensure staff who do have access aren’t leaving your organization vulnerable is by using tools like VPN access for staff who are logging in remotely or on mobile devices. Virtual Private Networks (VPN) are one of the most popular and effective security tools today and can help keep your information secure. When coupled with strong passwords for your users, this can make all the difference in making sure your organization is protected.
- Use an SSL For Your Website
An SSL for your website “is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browsers remain private and integral.” If you already have an SSL certificate for your website, this may seem like a no-brainer. But unsecured sites are a major security risk.
Purchasing an SSL for your website can be done through countless online stores for a small fee. Many of these sites also provide support to help manage and set up the certificate, in case this is your first time.
- Basic Data Security Software
We’re talking about firewalls and antivirus software. There are many data security solutions out there (such as Norton AntiVirus or McAfee) designed to help protect your network from potential hackers.
In addition to these tools, make sure that your staff understands why the organization uses them and how they can join the effort to keep data secure. Training on using strong passwords and downloading data security programs can go a long way to avoiding new vulnerabilities caused by your staff. If your team understands why the rules are in place, they are much more likely to follow them and avoid taking unnecessary risks.
You Have the Tools, Why wait?
We don’t have to remind you how important donor information and online donation security is. Follow these guidelines to avoid your own data breach. Caring for your donors’ data security is part of building the trust for a positive client/donor relationship. It is better to take action sooner rather than later!
