Australian charities fear their donors’ data is at risk due to lack of funding to deter cyber attack.
A group of peak not-for-profit bodies, including the Community Council for Australia, Australian Council for International Development, Fundraising Institute Australia and Public Fundraising Regulatory Association said the data and sensitive information of millions of Australians was at risk of being targeted by criminal networks.
Community Council for Australia Chair Tim Costello said the Federal Budget gave business and government millions to bolster cybersecurity, while ignoring pleas from under-resourced charities and not-for-profits.
“This lack of funding leaves donors’ financial data, and highly sensitive information about millions of vulnerable Australians, exposed,” Reverend Costello said.
“Charities manage many thousands of services for vulnerable people on behalf of federal and state governments. Many operations are tiny and rely on volunteers who are not equipped to keep pace with rapidly evolving cybersecurity requirements.”
He said a 2023 Digital Technology in the Not-for-Profit Sector survey of more than 1000 organisations found one in eight experienced a cyber security incident or breach.
It also found just 12 percent provided regular cyber security training to staff and a quarter had a policy for how to protect information from security threats.
Mr Costello said the government’s cyber security strategy did not contain dedicated funding for charities to bolster resilience.
“People rightly expect charities to keep operating expenses as low as possible and prioritise the provision of critical services,” Reverend Costello said.
“Charities are caught between a rock and a hard place trying to balance legitimate community expectations and the soaring cost of keeping data safe.
“Helping the sector achieve this is vital to ensuring ongoing public confidence in supporting organisations that serve our communities, society and country.”
