It’s often necessary for third-party vendor networks to have access to your data. The problem is, this creates a point of weakness for many organizations.

DelCor, in fact, suggests that third-party vendors are responsible for nearly two-thirds of all data breaches at corporations. To put it another way, it’s easier to hack the provider of Target’s point-of-sales systems than it is to hack Target.

In a recent blog post, DelCor’s Chris Ecker cautions organizations to thoughtfully consider how much access your vendors need and offers tips for auditing that access to minimize risk of a third-party breach.

“Mitigating third-party risk is dependent on your association or nonprofit establishing clear policies and protocols for administering vendor access,” Ecker writes. “Ensure you are taking the correct actions to protect your organization and your data from the threat of breaches linked to third-party access.”

Lessons From Starting Fresh

The Internet Association made a big splash a few years back, launching essentially from nothing—out of an interest in responding to growing legislative concerns—to become one of the most prominent trade groups in the country. In an interview with CEO Update’s David Rehr, IA’s president and CEO, Michael Beckerman, breaks down how the organization got started in 2012 and what he’s learned from the building process.

“We began, like many of our companies, out of a garage, and have grown into an entity that hopefully is serving and reflecting the industry,” Beckerman said. View the full interview above.

Other Links of Note

In case you needed clear evidence that we’re in the post-PC era, check out Microsoft’s most recent financial results—which were solid largely on the back of the company’s cloud computing services.

Strong segmenting can boost fundraising. But what’s the best strategy to take for your organization? At Kivi’s Nonprofit Communications Blog, campaign expert Kerri Karvetski breaks down a few ideas.

Difficult members? At Frank J. Kenny’s blog, Christina Green offers some insight into how to keep them in check.

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