August 16, 2017
Data Breaches Happening at Record Pace, Three Key Steps to Protect Your Club’s Website from Hackers
According to a recent NBC news report, data breaches in the U.S. jumped 29% in the first half of 2017 and the average cost of a breach was estimated at $141 per user according to the Ponemon Institute. Private clubs have typically not had cybersecurity plans in place, but breaches are on the rise. The nature of private clubs makes them a high profile and soft target for hackers. While it is important for clubs to examine their entire cybersecurity protocol, protecting member passwords should be the first priority. The membership demographics of most clubs are made up of high net worth individuals and families who will typically have other online accounts, thus protecting members’ passwords and other sensitive data is more important than ever. We are told to never use the same password twice but the reality is that everybody does it and breach at a private club could yield some valuable passwords.
3 KEY STEPS TO PROTECT YOUR MEMBERS PASSWORDS FROM HACKERS
#1: INSTALL AN SSL CERT ON YOUR SITE AND DON’T FORGET TO RENEW IT
Most clubs today have an SSL cert installed on their site, but if your Club does not, you need to get it TODAY. If you have an online login, or if any part of your website will require members to hand over sensitive information like a credit card number, you will need to invest in an SSL certificate. The club’s cost is minimal, but the protection it offers your members goes a long way to making your site more secure and trustworthy. If you already have an SSL cert in place, it’s important to set reminders for renewal dates. Forgetting your renewal could open your site up to hackers.
#2: INVEST IN SECURITY PLUGINS
Not all clubs have the resources to invest in a full IT team much less an experienced cybersecurity team, and thus must rely on other security tools to ensure their website is safe. Any website platform (Clubessential, Northstar, Jonas/MembersFirst, ForeTees, custom sites, etc.) can incorporate security measures such as a blind hashing technology to protect your Club and your members data from breaches and offline attacks.
#3: KEEP YOUR SITE UP TO DATE
It may seem obvious, but ensuring your website is up to date on the latest version of your software platform keeps hackers on their feet. By having the newest version of your platform installed, you are minimizing the risk that you’ll be hacked.
To learn more about what a breach could cost you, visit our Cost of a Data Breach Calculator or contact us to learn how BlindHash can help your Club protect your members' passwords.