Photo credits: SewcreamStudio on iStock

By David Stidham, Operations Manager at Cenetric

Today’s churches hold a significant amount of personal data about employees and members — making network security just as important for them as it is for any other organization.

Technology has made church services and programs available to more people than ever before, but it’s also left them susceptible to cyberattack. In fact, churches and other places of worship can be more vulnerable because criminals might assume they lack the proper protections.

From viruses to data theft, there’s a lot more danger to church networks than most leaders are prepared for. But by following these important steps, you can protect your church and its members — and not become a cybersecurity statistic.

1. Create secure passwords

In the early days of the internet, people could afford to be a little more lax when it came to deciding on computer passwords.  But “password” and “123456” aren’t going to cut it anymore.  (Yes, those really are two of the current most commonly used passwords.) 

Make sure you’re coming up with complex passwords that can’t easily be guessed.  Password management tools like 1Password and Dashlane will store all of your passwords for you and let you access them all with the use of one master password.

2. Employ multi-factor authentication (MFA)

On top of a secure password, you should add to your network security by implementing multi-factor authentication. If a hacker manages to steal one of your passwords through a data breach, they can easily break into your church IT network and do a lot of damage — very quickly.

By requiring multi-factor authentication, in which a second device is required to access the system, you stop the would-be hackers in their tracks and help protect your network.

3. Install anti-virus software

Viruses can infiltrate your church network through a direct cyberattack or through a phishing scam. One simple mistake with email can lead to disastrous consequences for your church.

Be proactive in protecting against viruses and malware by finding anti-virus software that fits your needs and your budget.  Whichever program you choose, make sure you stay on top of software updates so that it runs at its best.  You should also train your church IT support team to look out for suspicious emails and downloadable files that carry the warning signs for potentially containing a virus.

Photo credits: Maxxa_Satori on iStock

4. Get cyber insurance

I can’t think of a business or organization that shouldn’t hold cyber insurance at this point. As we always say, it’s not a matter of if you’ll be attacked, but when. 

Having insurance will help cover some of the costs your church will have to pay to recover from a cyberattack, virus, or malware. Because many churches have access to sensitive data about their members, you’ll want to communicate with your insurance company to see what coverage level is best for your church.

5. Let pros guide you

Many churches don’t have in-house IT support and rely on the most IT-knowledgeable employee they have to keep systems running. This team member often is handling IT problems as they pop up on top of their regular work. 

This might work OK for simple issues like rebooting a computer or troubleshooting email. But to truly protect your network, you should let pros help. Churches have adopted a lot of technology to bring members closer together the last few years — and you need a healthy network infrastructure to keep it all running smoothly. From sluggish, limiting physical servers to an overloaded network, there are complexities to church networks that the average employee just isn’t set up to handle.

To get it all under control, you can have a pro help you set up a networking strategy — and execute it if you need assistance. The right managed service provider can meet you at whatever level you need from fully managed IT operations to co-managed services to project services. 

Photo credits: Tirachard on iStock

6. Continuously monitor your network

When something goes wrong with your church IT network, it isn’t always obvious. But you should be monitoring your network regularly to spot abnormal or suspicious activity. You don’t want the first time you discover a network issue to be when you’re the victim of a cyberattack. 

By running regular security assessments, your church can find and address issues before they turn into full-blown disasters.

7. Stay up to date with security training and testing

Cyber criminals are always changing their tactics to skirt the protections organizations have in place — and that means you have to change yours too.

Make sure that every church employee is receiving ongoing security training and testing. With regular training, every team member can help protect your network from cyberattack. Solid training will include danger signs of hacking and actions to take if they suspect there’s a problem. More educated employees will make your church IT network less vulnerable to a cyberattack.

8. Use data encryption

Data encryption is a handy little tool that’s built into most laptops and mobile devices. This feature means that if a thief gets their hands on your smartphone, they can’t access much of the data on it without a password.

Make sure that all of your devices that have access to your church IT network have data encryption enabled. That way, a lost phone doesn’t have to compromise network security.

9. Make sure all software is up to date

We’ve all been there: that little notification hovers in the corner of your desktop telling you it’s time to install the latest update. Would now be a good time? Nah, you’ll get to that later. Or will you?

The unfortunate reality is that the more you delay these updates, the less secure your network will be. Updates protect you from hackers’ latest tricks, so stay on top of them across your network and install them as quickly as possible.

10. Back Up Your Data

One form of network security that people don’t often consider is what happens if a device is physically lost or destroyed. An accidental drop to the floor or a spilled cup of coffee can lead to data loss — unless it’s backed up properly.

Backing up your data is essential to efficiency and productivity in your church. There are several different free and paid services such as CrashPlan Pro that will give you greater security in preventing the loss of data. Or you can work with a managed services provider to handle it all for you.  Whatever route you take, the best time to back up your data is right now.

Let Cenetric support your church network

These simple tips can help you secure your church network so you can keep things running safely and smoothly. Want something more customized or have questions on how to secure your network? Tell us about your network challenges and we’ll help you sort it all out.  Whether you’re in Kansas City or beyond, we have the experienced, responsive experts you need.

Photo credits (in order): SewcreamStudio, Maxxa_Satori, Tirachard, all on iStock