How Charities Can Reduce the Risk of Ransomware Attacks Without Breaking the Bank

As you’re probably aware, ransomware is a type of malicious software that extortionists use to hold computers and data for ransom. There are many different strains of ransomware, just like there are many different online gangs that use the malware to make money. And while ransomware attacks on the news usually mention victims such as oil pipelines, businesses, schools, media outlets, and police stations, it would be a mistake to assume that the malware doesn’t hit nonprofit organizations like charities.

For example, according to The Charity Report, several American hospitals and social systems have been recent targets of ransomware attacks, with hackers demanding $1 million to unlock systems. In August 2020, the same publication found 24 Canadian charities, like the BC Cancer Foundation and Canada’s National Ballet, hit by ransomware attacks. One of the more high-profile organizations to suffer from a ransomware attack was the Christian charity, The Salvation Army. Its London Data Center was the target of encrypting malware.

There are three reasons why charities get hit by ransomware despite obviously being nonprofit organizations:

Most criminals lack morals and won’t hesitate to target charities. (Though, perplexingly, one group is donating some ransomware extortion money to charities.)
Some ransomware strains infect systems indiscriminately through automatically generated spam and phishing emails.
Nonprofits are sometimes easier targets because they don’t have the budget for robust cybersecurity.

If your nonprofit isn’t concerned about ransomware attacks, it should be. This malware infection can force organizations to close their doors for good. Not only can recovery be expensive, but the damage to an organization’s reputation can shatter donor confidence for good.

Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee you’ll get your system and files back even after you pay the hackers. While some cybercriminals don’t bother sharing a decryption key, others use ransomware strains incapable of tracking payments or restoring data. To make matters worse, some attackers play double-extortion strategies. They may only unlock some of your data, or they may threaten to dump your staff, volunteer, donor, and customer information on the Dark Web. That’s why it’s a good idea for any nonprofit to adopt mitigation strategies. And fortunately, you don’t have to break the bank to stop ransomware.