Do you connect with people online, manage donations, or store valuable information digitally? If so, then having a Cyber Incident Response Plan is a vital step in protecting your ministry. Now, it’s more important than ever to not only secure your data but also know what to do if a cyber incident occurs.
The High Risk of Technology
If you use the internet or work within an intranet, then you’re at risk of being hacked. Online websites, databases, computer networks, and emails do a great job of helping speed up our work. Although they make life easier, they are vulnerable to the threat of cyber hacks. So, like you would maintain your building, preserving your digital assets is just as essential. Doing this helps safeguard you and your member’s private information from the bad guys.
Any information transmitted or stored can be improperly used or fall into the wrong hands. Without a doubt, this puts your organization at risk and could cost it a fortune in damages and lawsuits. For this reason, you should have a Cyber Incident Response Plan in case a breach occurs. Doing so can reduce your damages from the high costs of recovery as well as save you a ton of wasted time. Also, you should review and update your plan annually since technology is ever evolving.
How Will You Respond to a Successful Cyber Hack?
Although there are precautions you can take to help guard against hacking, there’s no such thing as being 100% safe. That’s why you need a Cyber Incident Response Plan just in case. A good plan will help you mitigate damages as well as wasted time and effort. Having one will allow you to return to normal business much faster than if you have no plan at all.
Church Executive Magazine recounts a cyber attack on an Ohio parish so sleekly instituted it could happen to anyone: “… Upon a deeper investigation by the FBI, we found that our email system was hacked and the perpetrators were able to deceive us into believing Marous Brothers had changed their bank and wiring instructions … our payments were sent to a fraudulent bank account and the money was then swept out by the perpetrators before anyone knew what had happened.”
At Beacon, we help churches, private schools, and nonprofits with guidance to help them protect themselves. Our partnership with GuideOne provides resources for navigating the risks they face in this uncertain world. Valuable resources they can use to mitigate risk specific to them throughout the year.
Your Cyber Incident Response Plan
How well you respond to a successful cyber hack will make a huge difference in your damage control. At Beacon, we recommend you meet with your IT team to have a Cyber Incident Response Plan put into place as soon as possible. Below are some things to include in your plan:
- Regular testing of network by your IT team to identify any vulnerabilities
- Testing of the network by a professional third-party IT company
- Maintenance of system backups
- Verification of file integrity
- Disaster recovery drills to train staff on proper procedures
- Regular auditing to ensure network and systems safety
Also, all key employees should take part in cyber risk management training. This will help them identify potential areas of exposure to cyber risk.
Pre-Plan, Just In Case
Just as having a Cyber Incident Response Plan is crucial, developing a Pre-Incident Response Plan is important too. Be sure to pre-plan with precautionary measures before a cyber incident occurs. Pre-planning includes:
- Establishing a chain of communication to contact the proper parties. This will ensure that the next necessary steps are taken.
- Having up-to-date contact info for offsite vendors managing the storage of your data. They should be notified when any data stored with them has been compromised.
Your Cyber Liability Checklist
In today’s outreach, your church goes beyond its physical walls. Now, you’re connecting with people online, taking donations, and storing valuable information. While this offers great convenience and opportunity, it also presents a lot of new risks.
Just as you maintain your building, protecting your digital presence is also essential. Understanding and addressing cyber liability is a vital step in safeguarding your ministry.
Think of it this way, you wouldn’t leave the doors of your church unlocked overnight. In similar fashion, you need to secure the doors to your digital information too. Doing so protects your data against thieves online and other potential cyber threats.
You see, cyber liability refers to the risks associated with using technology and people’s data. It’s all about protecting the sensitive information you have whether its yours or someone else’s. Also, it helps to ensure your church can continue its work even if a digital incident occurs.
Cyber Liability Checklist & Action Plan
The below cyber liability checklist will guide you through key areas of protection. It will empower you to take proactive steps in lowering your cyber risk. Remember, knowledge is your strongest defense.
| Area of Focus | Action Plan Checklist | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Data Security | Are you using strong and unique passwords for all online accounts and network access? | A weak password is very much like leaving a key to the front door under the doormat. |
| Is multi-factor authentication enabled wherever possible? | This adds an extra-secure layer of security, just like having two separate locks on your door. | |
| Are sensitive files like member data and financial records encrypted? | Encrypting your data scrambles the information making it unreadable to unauthorized individuals. | |
| Do you regularly back up your important data to a secure, offsite location? | Backups are your safety net in case of data loss due to technical issues or cyberattacks. | |
| Website & Online Presence | Is your website secured with HTTPS (indicated by a padlock in the browser)? | HTTPS encrypts communication between your website and visitors, protecting their information. |
| Are your website software and plugins regularly updated? | These updates often include security patches that protect against known vulnerabilities. | |
| Do you have a clearly written privacy policy available on your website? | Transparency builds trust and informs visitors and users about how their data is handled. | |
| Email Security | Are your staff and volunteers trained to recognize phishing emails? | Phishing is a common tactic used by cybercriminals to steal information. |
| Do you have spam filters and malware protection on your emails? | These tools do a good job of blocking malicious emails before they reach your inbox. | |
| Incident Response | Do you have a plan in place for how to respond if a cyber incident occurs? | A plan ensures a swift and effective response, minimizing potential damage and disruption. |
| Do you know who to contact if you suspect a data breach? | Knowing who to call immediately is crucial for containing the situation. | |
| Training & Awareness | Do you regularly educate your staff and volunteers about cyber security best practices? | Human error is often a factor in cyber incidents. Ongoing training helps create a culture of security awareness. |
| Insurance Review | Have you discussed getting cyber insurance with your trusted insurance agency? | Cyber liability insurance can help cover costs due to data breaches, lawsuits, and other cyber incidents. |
You may feel somewhat daunted in following all these steps at first. But, as you go through each action your confidence in the strength of your cyber defense will grow. Remember, investing in cybersecurity is an act of care and responsibility. Much like investing in the spiritual well-being of the people you serve.
Ensure That You’re Insured
No matter how good your Cyber Incident Response Plan is there may be fallout if a successful cyber hack occurs. Because of this, you need cyber insurance to help protect you on the financial side of things. Much like you have insurance to protect against property and employee liabilities. You should have cyber insurance against liabilities that arise if someone steals your data. Cyber liability insurance focuses on your legal responsibility or liability to others. If a cyber incident does occur, this coverage helps protect your organization from expensive lawsuits and claims.
Are There Requirements in Getting Cyber Insurance?
A solid cyber insurance policy can be a true business saver. It helps to shield you from the financial losses resulting from a successful cyberattack or data breach. For this coverage, it’s often times a requirement that protocols are kept to increase the security of your network. A few of these protocols include:
- Requiring ID verification and a secure password to access the network
- Installing security patches on all computers that have access to the network
- Using antivirus software on all computers with updated virus definitions
- Changing user passwords every 90-days to guard against unauthorized use
- Encryption of data to protect sensitive information from being easily read
- Data destruction procedures that establish how long you should store electronic data
No two churches, private schools, or nonprofits are alike. That’s why, at Beacon Insurance Agency, we help them customize their coverage to meet their own unique needs. Our mission from the start has always been to serve those who serve their community. So contact us today, we will be happy to review your existing insurance policy and discuss new or extra insurance protection. Call us at (850) 994-7944 or send us an email using our Contact Us page.
Conclusion
We hope this incident response plan and liability checklist is helpful to your organization. We also hope you never have to use your Cyber Incident Response Plan. But, it’s much better to be safe than sorry. Hackers are always finding new and improved ways to do their dirty work. And, human error will always be with us in this fallen world. Remember, all humans, no matter their best intentions are, well, human and thus fallible. So, take the necessary steps to ensure your ministry can thrive. Doing so, helps your church, private school, or nonprofit continue to shine for the long run.
Experience Makes a Difference
Beacon Insurance Agency has helped many religious organizations all across Florida and Alabama since 2009. No matter the threats you face, we want you to feel that they have a strong team on your side. And that your ministry has help in protecting itself. We are all serving in faithfulness, and at Beacon, our greatest service is in meeting the needs of those called to make a change in the world.
