5 cyber security things you should keep in mind

Cyber security is arguably the most important piece of the puzzle when it comes to your website. It’s all well and good if you have an attractive, user-friendly website but it means nothing if your website isn’t secure and safe to use.

One benefit of working with a digital agency on your website is that most of the technical stuff is taken care of. As you have a duty to protect your users’ data, it’s always good to know what you need to consider and be aware of when maintaining your website.

What is GDPR compliance?

Since 2018, GDPR compliance has been an essential and legal requirement of all EU-based websites in order to protect the privacy and data of all EU citizens. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was introduced within the European Union to regulate the law on data protection and privacy.

If a website holds any kind of data at all about a person, this regulation applies. As a digital agency, all of our websites are built with cyber security and data regulation, especially GDPR compliance, in mind.

What other things should I keep in mind to make sure my website is secure, and GDPR compliant?

• Add an SSL certificate to your website – Included in our £9+VAT monthly cost, we take care of your SSL certificate so you don’t have to worry about it. But what does it do? It encrypts the data between the user and the server and can also act as a symbol, to users and search engines, that your website is secure.
• Allow user requests for data – GDPR gives your users more power over their data. This includes them being able to easily request access to the data you have on them. You should be able to provide information of the data that is stored eg usernames, passwords, personal details.
• Only store relevant information – An issue that we find with new Groups, Districts or Counties we work with, is that their existing websites are often out of date. This also means that old information is likely to have been stored. To ensure GDPR compliance, you should only store data that is relevant. Regularly deleting any data of parents, members or volunteers that are no longer a part of the organisation or have moved on, is good practice.
• Update your policies – It’s a good idea to make sure that your website contains an up to date privacy policy, data protection policy or any other kind of notice that refers to you using or storing data. We can help you get started if you don’t know where to even begin.
• Do your research – If you think you need to do more as an organisation to be GDPR compliant, take a look at some extra resources such as FAQs for charities from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ISO).