71: We need to talk about cyber breaches

Charity Digital Podcast

Cyber attacks happen – and charities are not immune. Around a quarter of charities in the UK were affected by a cyber attack in 2020, including half of large charities. Yet nobody seems to be talking about them.

Part of the reason these attacks succeed is a lack of awareness in their methods and how to defend against them. Cyber security experts Symantec estimate that there are 135 million phishing attacks attempted every day alone, relying on relevance (usually something being talked about on the news), emotion (fear or urgency), and authority (messages from your bank or employer).

We can only learn from our mistakes if we know what they are – this means talking openly, as a sector, we talk about them. In this podcast, Charity Digital’s Laura Stanley is joined by Gerry Crow, Director of Operations and Support at The Mary Stevens Hospice; Clare Mills, Director of Communications and External Affairs at the National Association for Voluntary and Community Action; and Chris Hall, Head of Marketing at Charity Digital, to discuss why charities are reticent when it comes to cyber security and how we can remove the stigma in the future.