The truth is that, nowadays, data breaches are more common than ever. Cyber crooks are getting more creative and have more sophisticated tools at their disposal. The security practices that might have worked 5 years ago are now completely outdated. In July 2020, more than 120 organizations, including many charities such as The National Trust, had their volunteer and fundraiser data compromised. While it’s true that non-profit organizations might not have the necessary resources to build a robust cybersecurity infrastructure, it is critical to understand that a simple tool such as a password manager can be instrumental in staying one step ahead of a breach.
Today, we’re joined by Ciára Dalton, Co-Founder & Head of Marketing and Campaigns @ The Hygiene Bank Ireland, and Rhys Doyle, Head of IT @ The Hygiene Bank Ireland, to talk about password security at a charity organization and how NordPass Business played a role in reinforcing the organization's overall security posture.
The Hygiene Bank Ireland: feeling clean should not be a luxury or privilege
The Hygiene Bank Ireland is a grass roots community initiative providing hygiene, personal care, and household cleaning products to those in need. The organization strives to bring communities, businesses, and thought leaders together to tackle hygiene poverty by giving access to products and being a voice for change.
“There are three main ways people can donate. The easiest one is to leave a donation at various drop-off points that are all across the country. Some of them are found in various businesses like pharmacies, barber shops, pet shops, etc. What we ask is that people pick up an extra item or two and drop them off at the drop-off point, of which we have around 70-72 at the moment. If you don’t have a drop-off point near you, you can donate online through our donate page. The third way that people can get involved is to donate in bulk via work, family and friends.”
– Ciára Dalton,
Co-Founder @ The Hygiene Bank Ireland
Growth spurs the need for cybersecurity
While cybersecurity should be a priority for organizations of any size and type, it is quite natural that, once smaller establishments grow, the need for cybersecurity becomes quite apparent. This has been the case for The Hygiene Bank Ireland.
“As the Hygiene Bank Ireland grows, cybersecurity became more important as more people started to get involved. We sometimes deal with quite sensitive information. And so the level of security had to increase. We are now in the process of building a research wing which will have even more sensitive information in there. Supporters sometimes want to remain anonymous. So it is very important that we have a good level of cybersecurity in this day and age.”
– Rhys Doyle,
Head of IT @ The Hygiene Bank Ireland
- Secure your business with NordPass — save the hefty costs of a security breach
Password security at The Hygiene Bank Ireland prior to NordPass
Passwords are the first line of defense when it comes to cybersecurity. Some might argue that cybersecurity starts with a password. Whatever the case may be, passwords play a crucial role in today's world on both individual and organizational levels. Unfortunately, people as well as large organizations tend to struggle with password security quite often, mostly because, today, passwords have to be highly complex and we have too many of them.
“Before adopting NordPass, we were using the same password for everything, which we know is a terrible idea. Amazingly, we didn’t experience any significant cybersecurity threat due to such poor password hygiene. However, I’ve seen a lot of friends getting hacked, I’ve seen it happen on the news. We needed to up our standards and secure our back-end. We wanted to be prepared.”
– Rhys Doyle,
Head of IT @ The Hygiene Bank Ireland
Why was NordPass Business the choice for The Hygiene Bank Ireland?
For any organization that wishes to adopt a password manager for company-wide use, there are a number of things to consider before making a choice, and that’s never an easy task. While most password managers serve the same purpose, the way they do that is a whole different question. Organizations choosing a password manager need to assess their needs and values clearly to make the right decision.
“We pride ourselves in the fact that everything we do has to come back to our goal of helping people in Ireland. This is why the price-quality ratio is very important for us. The fact that NordPass is priced per user was a major factor in our decision. Usability was extremely important as well. I got in touch with NordPass and the process was very easy. It came down to the first call. I thought it was well-designed and easy to use. So at the end of the day it came down to usability, price-quality ratio and customer service.”
– Rhys Doyle,
Head of IT @ The Hygiene Bank Ireland
Life with NordPass Business at The Hygiene Bank Ireland
The aim of a corporate password manager is to make life easier for everyone within the organization, to make password fatigue go away, to ensure that passwords are strong enough to withstand a brute-force attack, and to provide the organization’s IT department with peace of mind.
“I think, in general, NordPass did improve things cyber-security wise and is improving things as time goes on. Once everybody got on board, which was easy and quick, everybody got used to it. It is easy and extremely helpful. Although there was a learning curve, we are getting better at it. The group's feature is one of the most used ones here at the Hygiene Bank. Being able to set up those groups is very important as new people come in, as well when people leave. I personally also really like the browser extension.”
– Rhys Doyle,
Head of IT @ The Hygiene Bank Ireland
If you think that your organization could benefit from using NordPass business as a company-wide password manager, do not hesitate to schedule a demo call with our representative. During the demo, we hope you will see how easy password security can be using the right tools.