Non-profits' computer security needs improvement

Howard Lake | 31 January 2002 | News

A survey of US non-profits has found that many non-profits need to improve their computer security procedures. The survey by NetAction highlighted maintaining the security of confidential and/or sensitive files, user work habits, and disaster planning as key areas requiring action.

A survey of US non-profits has found that many non-profits need to improve their computer security procedures. The survey by NetAction highlighted maintaining the security of confidential and/or sensitive files, user work habits, and disaster planning as key areas requiring action.

Only 4% of non-profit organisations encrypt all sensitive files. Yet nearly two thirds of the organisations surveyed store sensitive files on computers connected to a local network, and nearly half store them on computers connected to the Internet.

Although the results cannot be generalised to the larger non-profit community because random sampling techniques were not used, NetAction executive director Audrie Krause said non-profit organisations should find the report useful in assessing their own computer security practices and identifying practices that need improvement.

Find the Computer Practices in Non-profit Organisations report at NetAction.

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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale. He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.