---
title: "Four Steps to Better Data Security for Associations"
id: "23432"
type: "post"
slug: "four-steps-to-better-data-security-for-associations"
published_at: "2014-06-01T11:10:29+00:00"
modified_at: "2026-03-16T04:13:09+00:00"
url: "https://associationsnow.com/2014/06/01/four-steps-to-better-data-security-for-associations/"
markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2014/06/01/four-steps-to-better-data-security-for-associations.md"
excerpt: "DelCor's Tobin Conley offers some basic advice on how to ensure your data security is up to snuff."
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taxonomy_post_tag:
  - "AssociationsNow"
  - "cybersecurity"
  - "Data Security"
  - "information management"
  - "Technology"
taxonomy_content_format:
  - "Article"
taxonomy_role:
  - "Association CEO / Executive Director"
  - "C-Level"
  - "Executive Team"
taxonomy_persona:
  - "Association Professionals"
---

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 » Four Steps to Better Data Security for Associations

Tobin Conley, senior consultant, technology management, at DelCor Technology Solutions, offers these tips for smaller associations to begin addressing data security issues. “These aren’t super-sophisticated, but they knock out a good many liabilities,” he says.

**1. Have unique passwords.** Change them regularly, and never share them. Password management tools like KeePass and Norton Identity Safe can help protect passwords.

**2. Use encryption tools** to protect sensitive data.

**3. Keep multiple backups of data,** and ensure that backups are stored in different places.

**4. Invest in a good antivirus program,** and encourage staff to use common sense when confronted with phishing scams, questionable websites, and other methods hackers use to access internal data.

(iStock/Thinkstock)

[Mark Athitakis](https://associationsnow.com/author/mark-athitakis/)

Mark Athitakis, a contributing editor for Associations Now, has written on nonprofits, the arts, and leadership for a variety of publications. He is a coauthor of The Dumbest Moments in Business History and hopes you never qualify for the sequel.

[More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/mark-athitakis/)

Tags: [#cybersecurity](https://associationsnow.com/tag/cybersecurity/)
 [#Data Security](https://associationsnow.com/tag/data-security/)
 [#information management](https://associationsnow.com/tag/information-management/)
 [#Technology](https://associationsnow.com/tag/technology/)

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