CASE STUDY
The cybersecurity threat to Australian NFPs
Published by Infoexchange , the 2022 Digital Technology in the Not-for-Profit Sector report is pitched as the most comprehensive look at not- for-profit technology use across Australia and New Zealand
The remainder acknowledge that they need to place more priority on ensuring staff are aware of how to be safe and secure online .
Only 73 % of respondents consider their password practices strong with 35 % yet to implement multifactor authentication access to their systems – which often hold highly sensitive information .
The report noted ‘ significant concern ’ at only 47 % of NFP organisations indicating the provision of cybersecurity awareness training to their staff , with most of these organisations also having no processes in place to manage information security related risks .
While this has improved from previous years , Infoexchange acknowledges the importance of securing data is becoming all the more important as attacks are becoming more frequent and sophisticated in nature .
More than one in three NFPs were also shown as yet to implement multi-factor authentication , a simple step to significantly improve information security .
Respondents indicated that improving cybersecurity protocols and staff knowledge in this area was a key priority .
Almost 79 % of not-for-profits surveyed indicated that they had robust data backup protocols in place .
But 45 % of not-for-profits surveyed are yet to develop a data breach response plan , indicating the need for greater education across the sector in this particular area of information security best practice .
Infoexchange – an NFP itself – recognises information security resilience involves a combination of measures in the area of people , process and technology . The report says staff training is key to protecting organisational data by giving staff the knowledge to address threats .
Of the organisations surveyed , only 47 % provide staff security awareness training .
Infoexchange says there are a growing number of free or low-cost resources tailored for the not-for-profit sector should they be ready to improve or upgrade their current information security practices .
Guides , policy templates , training webinars and more are all available on the Infoexchange Digital Transformation Hub .
“ We know these technologies can make service delivery better and easier , but you need to have the right foundations to support all the data and they need to be secure ,” he said .
“ The NFP sector is one of Australia ’ s largest employers and revenue sources accounting for 10.5 % of the Australian workforce and $ 190 billion in revenue .
Macquarie Cloud Services is also streamlining Cafs ’ workflows to capture the full potential of Microsoft ’ s Extended Detection and Response ( Defender XDR ), which accelerates response and automatic disruption of attacks such as ransomware .
This establishes a cohesive set of security tools and governance while facilitating a Zero Trust framework architecture throughout the environment .
A recent report crystallised the importance of this kind of cybersecurity uplift ; one in eight Australian NFPs have experienced a cyber incident in the past year , while just 13 % per cent had a documented plan to improve cyber security protection .
“ There ’ s a strong desire to bolster cyber security standards within the sector given the high volumes of sensitive data and it ’ s a real pleasure to be able to meet that demand head-on and within already tight budgets ,” said Naran McClung , Head of Azure , Macquarie Cloud Services .
“ Cafs is setting the bar for what secure , and secure planning , looks like for an organisation in this sector . There ’ s a common misconception that the tools and systems it has in place are only within reach for large enterprises and government agencies , which couldn ’ t be further from the truth . The key is to find a trusted , communicative , and flexible partner to take you on that journey .” p
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