Cyber Security for Your Chapter

Data security is in the news more and more every day. Most of the time, it’s for the wrong reasons. Data breaches are happening to some of the largest companies in the world, so what can you do for your chapter? It is essential to be clear on how you are using and protecting member data.

The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) became effective this year and has set a high standard for data protection. The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is another recent update to data protection law. It is crucial to know how these regulations affect your chapter, members, and vendors. In the United States, many data protection regulations are determined from state to state.

Below are just a few ways to help protect your chapter data:

Written Plan

Having a written data security plan for your chapter not only establishes best practices, it also gets you thinking about the way you manage data. Taking the time to establish a plan makes best practices for your chapter clear.

How You Will Use Data

A good practice is to disclose how you will use member information and data. What is the reason you are collecting data? Are your members aware of how their data will be used? Putting thought and time into this can help prevent misuse.

Destruction Policies

Equally as important as gathering and holding data is how you destroy it. The GDPR introduced a regulation that destruction policies must be in place. Even if the GDPR doesn’t apply to all members, it may be helpful to set its guidelines as a standard for your chapter.

The climate of data security is rapidly changing. There is more attention being given to data security with each new data breach news story. Read up on the GDPR, CCPA and any other future legislation that could affect your members and your standards of data security.