How Are A Few Ways Professional Associations Can Keep Their Member Data Safe Against Cybercrime
Professional associations have a duty to serve the interests of their members, but how can you do that without securing their data? 2019 has been the year of cybercrime – impacting organizations of all types, shapes, and sizes around the world. We’ve seen NO industry left untouched – from healthcare to retail to financial services to professional associations and everything in between. Consider this: 3.3 billion records were exposed around the world in the first half of 2018 – a 72% increase compared to the same period in 2017. Cybercrime is evolving – and at an incredibly rapid rate.
What’s a Professional Association To Do When Members Want Personalized Communication, But There’s a High Demand for Data Privacy?
One of the biggest challenges facing professional associations is the struggle to balance their members desire for personalized communication with the high demand for data privacy to protect against unauthorized access and/or disclosure. A recent study found that 71% of members of professional associations worry about data privacy and security, but fortunately, they do want to share information if it’s in a secure manner.
Here are our recommendations to help you keep your member data safe against cybercrime:
- Store member data in a safe place:Spreadsheets are not enough to manage your growing member data. You need to store your member data in a safe place, such as an association management software (AMS) that keeps it all in one place. Most options available have features to keep it secure while at rest and in transit, including two-factor authentication, data backup, encryption, and various other measures.
- Develop a policy that governs data usage:Having a safe place to store member data is great, but it’s even more important to have a policy in place that governs the use and access of that data. You should create and enforce a policy that outlines what type of data can be collected, how long it can be stored, and who can access it. Your staff members should be required to follow this policy, and those that don’t require access, shouldn’t have it.
- Train your staff members on cybersecurity best practices:Once you have a safe place to store data and a policy that governs data usage and/or access, it’s important to keep your staff members trained on cybersecurity best practices. They should undergo regular training regarding password safety, how to detect and respond to threats, and other general measures that will keep your network safe against hackers. Your employees are your first line of defense.
Give Your Members the Personalized Communication They Need – Without Leaving Their Data at Risk for Disclosure. Call (720) 340-3849 Now.
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