This week’s cybersecurity developments hit close to home for organizations that serve the public good—schools, healthcare providers, local governments, and nonprofits. Cybercriminals are doubling down on exploiting trust, resource constraints, and third-party gaps. Whether you’re a ministry, charity, school, or public service provider, these stories are especially relevant to your mission and the people you care for. Read on to learn how these threats may impact your organization—and how to respond.
Shadow IT: The Legal Blind Spot for Mission-Driven Organizations
When teams use unsanctioned apps like free file sharing or collaboration tools, they may inadvertently expose sensitive client or donor data. For nonprofits, ministries, or city services working under tight budgets, this shadow IT can become a compliance and legal liability if left unmonitored.
Read more on Help Net Security
Texas City Forced to Shut Down Services After Cyberattack
The city of Abilene, Texas, had to take systems offline following a cyberattack—interrupting basic operations. Local governments and small municipalities, often operating with limited security budgets, are increasingly targeted. It’s a wake-up call for public-sector orgs to ensure offline contingency plans are in place.
Read more on The Record
Third-Party Breaches Now Responsible for 30% of Security Incidents
New research shows security incidents caused by vendors and service providers have doubled. Nonprofits and healthcare providers who rely heavily on external platforms for fundraising, care coordination, or cloud storage must vet those partners more rigorously.
Read more on The Register
Schools Targeted by Cybercriminals Taking Advantage of Budget Gaps
Attackers are preying on underfunded school systems, exploiting old equipment and limited IT staffing. Faith-based schools and small private academies are especially vulnerable. Implementing multi-factor authentication and security awareness training can go a long way.
Read more on Dark Reading
$16.6 Billion Lost to Cybercrime in 2024—Public-Serving Organizations Are Not Immune
The FBI reports record-setting cybercrime losses. Many of the victims? Healthcare orgs, local agencies, and nonprofits who often lack enterprise-level protection. Don’t assume being “small” makes you a small target.
Read more on The Record
2024 Cyberattack Trends: What Caring Organizations Should Watch For
Mandiant’s annual report spotlights the most common ways attackers breach organizations—many of which directly apply to care-based nonprofits, healthcare orgs, and schools. Knowing these trends helps prioritize defense in ways that match real-world threats.
Read more on Help Net Security
How to Stay Ahead of Cybercrime’s Rapid Evolution
This piece offers plain-language guidance on building a proactive defense posture, especially valuable for leadership at charities, clinics, and faith-based orgs who may not have a full-time CISO.
Read more on JD Supra
YouTube Scams Are Targeting Staff and Volunteers
Fake giveaways, malware links, and deepfake messages are increasingly common on YouTube—often targeting admins of nonprofit channels or people using the platform for education and outreach. If your organization posts or moderates video content, be cautious of unexpected links and comments.
Read more on Help Net Security
Deepfakes Used to Infiltrate Remote IT Teams—Even in the Public Sector
North Korean hackers are impersonating job applicants using AI-generated video to get hired remotely—then stealing data. Organizations hiring IT contractors (including cities, schools, or global missions) need to tighten identity verification during the interview process.
Read more on Dark Reading
Critical Commvault Backup Vulnerability Patched—Update Now
A critical flaw in Commvault backup systems—commonly used by hospitals, schools, and municipal agencies—has been patched. If your organization uses Commvault to back up data, update immediately to avoid remote code execution risk.
Read more on SC Media
HopeNet reviews a variety of security news sources so you do not have to! This list is curated specifically for churches, nonprofits, and other Organizations of Hope. The headlines and our added comments are meant to provide enough to get an overview of recent happenings, but links are also provided for readers that want to explore certain topics deeper.
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