--- title: "Tuesday Buzz: Focus on Member Security" id: "36455" type: "post" slug: "tuesday-buzz-focus-on-member-security" published_at: "2017-01-10T23:07:04+00:00" modified_at: "2017-01-10T23:07:04+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2017/01/10/tuesday-buzz-focus-on-member-security/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2017/01/10/tuesday-buzz-focus-on-member-security.md" excerpt: "Why member security is becoming a more important issue as the online landscape evolves. Also: Why online communities usually fail." taxonomy_category: - "Membership" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "community engagement" - "member security" - "Membership" - "online communities" - "Technology" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Director" - "Manager" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Tuesday Buzz: Focus on Member Security With all the chatter about cybersecurity, it’s worth asking: Are associations listening to those concerns when it comes to member communities? [A recent blog post from Pedalo (opens in a new tab)](http://www.pedalo.co.uk/digital-trends-for-membership-organisations-2017/) notes that roughly half of all membership sites analyzed in one of the company’s recent studies did not use https to ensure secure browsing, something it says “is likely driving away potential new members, as users are becoming increasingly aware of online security threats.” While https is commonly used on transaction pages involving credit cards, the U.K. web design and research company says consumers are expecting such security on every page—and that includes in your online community. “Today it is easier than ever to implement secure browsing and it is recommended to use https throughout the site (and not just during the registration process, as this leaves the site and your users open to potential attacks),” the company notes. “Including icons on your site that indicate to your users that you are giving them a safe browsing experience will foster trust.” Check out more details on this issue [at the Pedalo blog (opens in a new tab)](http://www.pedalo.co.uk/digital-trends-for-membership-organisations-2017/) . ### One Tough Number > We’ve got some stats about online communities and they’re good news[https://t.co/1dC4Abzh9O (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/1dC4Abzh9O) > [#assnchat (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/assnchat?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#assnprofs (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/assnprofs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#CMGR (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/CMGR?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#community (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/community?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [pic.twitter.com/3BQCn0MZOk (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/3BQCn0MZOk) > > — rasa.io (@rasa_io) [January 10, 2017 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/rasa_io/status/818871784879587328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Rasa.io’s recent piece** on engagement numbers regarding branded communities are mostly positive ([as highlighted by the headline of the piece (opens in a new tab)](http://blog.rasa.io/5-little-known-facts-about-online-communities) ), but one number in particular stands out to us—and it’s not positive: According to Rasa’s Christian Britto, 70 percent of online communities fail, something Britto says is due to a failure to nurture those communities. “The real determinant of your community’s success or failure is how much you invest in the management of it,” Britto writes. “You can’t just set up your community, then walk away as if the work’s all done.” [Check out his post (opens in a new tab)](http://blog.rasa.io/5-little-known-facts-about-online-communities) for more thoughts—including a few slightly more optimistic numbers. ### Other Links of Note **Big enterprise deal worth watching:** Atlassian, the major enterprise software company, [acquired the popular task-management app Trello (opens in a new tab)](http://venturebeat.com/2017/01/09/atlassian-is-buying-my-beloved-trello-for-425-million/) for a cool $425 million. The companies say no changes are planned to either the software or the team that makes it. **Could artificial intelligence** change the way we manage content? At *CMSWire*, Boris Kraft of Magnolia International [says that there is a lot of potential (opens in a new tab)](http://www.cmswire.com/digital-experience/12-ways-ai-has-or-will-change-content-management/) for AI to help. **If you’re just focusing on opens and clicks,** you’re not getting the full picture. At the Informz blog, Alex Mastrianni [highlights a list of metrics (opens in a new tab)](http://www.informz.com/blog/email-marketing-tips/beyond-opens-clicks/) you should be keeping a close eye on—including how much email you’re sending your end users. (Unsplash/Pixabay) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Tags: [#community engagement](https://associationsnow.com/tag/community-engagement/) [#member security](https://associationsnow.com/tag/member-security/) [#Membership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/membership/) [#online communities](https://associationsnow.com/tag/online-communities/) [#Technology](https://associationsnow.com/tag/technology/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Tech Stack: How AI Is Changing the Association PlaybookOctober 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/29/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-tech-stack-how-ai-is-changing-the-association-playbook/) - [TemplateMembers onlyMember Onboarding ToolkitNovember 5, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/11/05/member-onboarding-toolkit/) - [VideoThe Career Moves Every Association Leader Needs Right NowSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/the-career-moves-every-association-leader-needs-right-now/) - [VideoNCRA: Safeguarding Cancer Surveillance: An Advocacy Response to FY26 Budget ThreatsSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/ncra-safeguarding-cancer-surveillance-an-advocacy-response-to-fy26-budget-threats/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2017%2F01%2F10%2Ftuesday-buzz-focus-on-member-security%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !