Getting Started
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- Get organized → be aware of what you have
- Get safe → take steps to fix any gaps
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Get Organized
to arrange one's things or one's affairs so they can be dealt with effectively ~Merriam-Webster.com
Understand your resources
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Try and use common terms across all of your information sources. This will help you and your staff join things together for future planning exercises. |
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Get Safe
1: a precautionary measure, stipulation, or device
2: a technical contrivance to prevent accident
~Merriam-Webster.com
Using the information from Get Organized, you'll undoubtedly have many gaps to fill. Be proactive in tackling these issues to save heartache later on. Ask yourself a few questions to get started.
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Find out more about your company's various online services. From Gmail and Outlook.com, to GoDaddy to Wix, to Bitbucket and Github, and everything in between... nearly everything can and will be used against you.
- Have an evaluation plan to compare things
- What's free versus enterprise / business class counterparts? Do they have a NFP / NGO license?
- Leverage your networks for reviews and experiences
- Do you have data sovereignty? Can you download / delete your data from this service?
- What security features can you use?
- Two Factor Authentication (2FA), IP Access Lists, download / export restrictions?
- Privilege levels? Authentication options?
- Restrict sharing for outside users? Other restrictions...?
- Enable Notifications
- Get SMS alerts for new registrations and account configuration changes
- Get email or other confirmation for logins from strange locations
- Label, mark, and/or save these to an archive folder (even if you can't / won't read them)
Securing your org
Whether it's to help build that beautiful website, convert that database into simple spreadsheets, or whatever the task - you're going to need some help along the way.
And even if you can do it all... eventually you'll need that help anyhow in order to scale your organization.
- Have you controlled access to your various tools and services?
- Use differentiated access. Different employees should get access most appropriate to their job function.
- Avoid shared accounts. If you have to use them, put them in a shared password safe.
- Avoid sharing major secrets or personal issues in company chats and other semi-public forums. Especially not passwords and other keys.
- How does your org work online?
- Google yourself; Google your company. See what you come back with. Is it what you expected?
- Have social media / employee conduct policy or discussions. Control access tightly to your social media accounts.
- Have an on-boarding and off-boarding process. Make sure accounts can be closed or access revoked if someone leaves.
- Be careful deleting things and the perception it raises. Nearly everything is permanent on the Internet.
- Be honest whenever you can. Whether it's with staff, supporters, customers etc. honesty will usually fair best.
- Do you have pervasive security awareness, supportive culture, and stakeholder buy-in?
For Example
Let's imagine...
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