Cybersecurity in Non-Profit Organizations: Threats, Strategies, and Practical Solutions
Author: Dr. Anna Neya Kazanskaia
Publisher: NEYA Global Publishing
Article | NEYA Global Journal of Non-Profit Studies
Year: 2025
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5669-1676
DOI: https://doi.org/10.64357/neya-gjnps-tchtleffimp-07
This material forms part of the NEYA Global knowledge architecture. Institutional, organizational, professional, training, consulting, curriculum, program design, or implementation use requires an active license from NEYA Global
Explore Architecture →
Module Overview →
Request Institutional Access →
About the Article
This article examines cybersecurity threats and mitigation strategies in non-profit organizations, highlighting risks such as phishing, malware, ransomware, data breaches, and insider threats. It presents technical safeguards including firewalls, antivirus software, encryption, access controls, regular updates, and secure backups, alongside staff training, awareness programs, and incident response planning. Affordable and practical solutions suitable for resource-constrained organizations are discussed, including Avast, Let’s Encrypt, LastPass, Google Authenticator, and cloud-based storage. Case studies from Save the Children, American Red Cross, Oxfam, Habitat for Humanity, and Médecins Sans Frontières illustrate effective implementation of cybersecurity practices. Findings emphasize that proactive, integrated technical, educational, and procedural measures are essential for protecting data, maintaining operational continuity, and ensuring the sustainability of mission-critical activities.
Key Topics
- Cybersecurity
- Non-profit organizations
- Data protection
- Phishing
- Ransomware
- Incident response
- Resource-constrained settings
Suggested Citation
Kazanskaia, A. N. (2025). Cybersecurity in Non-Profit Organizations: Threats, Strategies, and Practical Solutions. NEYA Global Journal of Non-Profit Studies. Neya Global Publishing. https://doi.org/10.64357/neya-gjnps-tchtleffimp-07
References
American Red Cross. (2018). Ransomware response and incident management report. American Red Cross International.
ENISA. (2016). Incident handling in organizations: Best practices. European Union Agency for Cybersecurity.
Habitat for Humanity. (2020). Cybersecurity implementation report. Habitat for Humanity International.
Jagatic, T. N., Johnson, N. A., Jakobsson, M., & Menczer, F. (2007). Social phishing. Communications of the ACM, 50(10), 94-100.
https://doi.org/10.1145/1290958.1290968
Katz, J., & Lindell, Y. (2014). Introduction to modern cryptography (2nd ed.). Chapman and Hall/CRC.
https://doi.org/10.1201/b17668
Kazanskaia, A. N. (2025). Cybersecurity Essentials. NEYA Global Publishing.
https://doi.org/10.64357/cybersecurity-essentials-2025
Kazanskaia, A. N. (2025). Data management and analytics in non-profit organizations. Neya Global Journal of Non-Profit Studies.
Kazanskaia, A. N. (2025). Guide to Digital Transformation. NEYA Global Publishing.
https://doi.org/10.64357/guide-to-digital-transformation-2025
Kazanskaia, A. N. (2025). Tech: Legal and Moral Issues. NEYA Global Publishing.
https://doi.org/10.64357/tech-legal-moral-issues-2025
Kazanskaia, A. N. (2025). Technology integration in non-profit organizations: Foundations and trends. Neya Global Journal of Non-Profit Studies.
https://doi.org/10.64357/neya-gjnps-tchtleffimp-01
Kazanskaia, A. N. (2025). Technology Tools for Efficiency & Impact. NEYA Global Publishing.
https://doi.org/10.64357/technology-tools-2025
Kharraz, A., Robertson, W., Balzarotti, D., Bilge, L., & Kirda, E. (2015). Cutting the Gordian knot: A look under the hood of ransomware attacks. International Conference on Detection of Intrusions and Malware & Vulnerability Assessment, 3-24.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20550-2_1
Médecins Sans Frontières. (2019). Cybersecurity strategy and system maintenance report. Médecins Sans Frontières.
Oxfam. (2019). Data protection and cybersecurity policy report. Oxfam International.
SANS Institute. (2014). Critical security controls for effective cybersecurity. SANS Institute.
Save the Children. (2019). Cybersecurity awareness and training program report. Save the Children International.
Symantec. (2019). Internet security threat report. Symantec Corporation.
