Email communication, while convenient, often becomes the Achilles’ heel of data privacy. The misuse of ‘Carbon Copy’ (CC) and ‘Blind Carbon Copy’ (BCC) features in emails is a common cause of unintended data breaches. So, should we use CC, BCC, or neither? Let’s explore further. The Pitfalls of CC and BCC CC is a way to…
Welcome to the Smartdesc April newsletter. This month, we are thrilled to present our 2024 Charity Technology Leaders Report, providing valuable IT insights in the nonprofit sector. Additionally, don’t miss out on the exciting events we have lined up with Microsoft and ServiceNow. Free charity IT resources Our 2024 Charity Technology Leaders Report is live!…
As of February 2024, Gmail and Yahoo require bulk senders (e.g. marketing mass emails using tools like Mailchimp) to have a DMARC policy in their website domain. Emails must pass DMARC alignment and meet various standards. This change is aimed at improving email security and reducing spam, as per this guide. For charities, this means…
*Please note: we have reached full capacity for this event* Would you like to improve your understanding of charity data protection? Join us at Microsoft London for our roundtable – Data Protection for Charities – Demystified – on Thursday 19 September 2024 at 10am. We provide a relaxed, safe space for questions, discussion, and to…
Welcome to the Smartdesc January newsletter. This month we share our annual Charity Leaders survey, advice on how you can use ITSM to improve your IT function, a guide on preventing data breaches, and more. Free charity IT resources Our annual Charity Technology Leaders survey is now live! Complete our survey to have your say on…
Data breaches are a serious threat in today’s digital age, especially for nonprofit organisations. While much attention is given to high-profile cyber attacks, internal staff members sometimes mishandle personal data in their care, creating a digital nightmare. One of the more common data breaches involves unauthorised access to databases containing sensitive service user information. These…
Welcome to the Smartdesc November newsletter. This month we share how charities can be more digitally mature and offer the following resources: A blog on the five key stages of digital maturity for charities with illustrations Free Microsoft Cloud Security, Cyber Security and Data Protection assessments Free instructor-led MS365 training sessions Our next Quarterly Charity…
In today’s digital age, charities need to continually adapt to leverage technology for greater impact. The digital maturity of a nonprofit plays a pivotal role in enhancing operational efficiencies, expanding reach, giving them a competitive edge and ultimately fulfilling its mission. In this blog, we explore the five key stages of digital maturity for nonprofit…
ACEVO is the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations. Together with their network, they inspire and support civil society leaders by providing connections, advocacy and skills. ACEVO approached Smartdesc as they wanted to achieve the Cyber Essentials certification, to prove their commitment to best practice with cyber security. Challenge Cyber Essentials is a government-backed,…
Terrence Higgins Trust is the UK’s leading HIV and sexual health charity. They support people living with HIV and help those using the services to achieve good sexual health. They are an organisation that pride themselves on placing the service user and their privacy first. Challenge Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) were already using the services…
