In this modern age where nearly everything is done electronically, it’s important to have a cyber security plan in place for your HOA. As a board member, you’re responsible for safeguarding the information of all residents in your community, and it’s essential for you to have both an official cyber policy and an emergency plan in place to know how potential security breaches will be handled.  Make sure each member of the board knows the protocol and knows whom to contact to enforce the cyber security policies.  It’s also important to ensure all members are trained and that there are plans in place for training all future board members.

If your cyber policy could use some improvements, we’ve compiled six ways you can increase your HOA’s cyber security:

Improve Your Passwords

  • Make your HOA-related passwords stronger by incorporating letters, numbers, and symbols, as well as using a mix of capital and lowercase letters.
  • You may want to consider using a short, memorable phrase. Never use a common word, phrase, or obvious password.
  • Make sure each of your passwords is different—when hackers gain access to one password, they often have the capability to run that password across all of your accounts, potentially gaining access to all of your information in one go.
  • Password management software is a good option that allows you to create incredibly secure passwords and store them for use in each account. That way you have secure passwords but don’t have to memorize them.
  • Lastly, remember to change your passwords regularly.

Invest in Software Security

  • Update all software regularly across all devices. Software updates often patch holes in security and make it more difficult for hackers to gain access.  Outdated platforms, protocols, and processes make your HOA vulnerable to a cyber attack.
  • Paying for anti-virus software will provide tremendous security within your HOA software. The fees you pay for software security are nothing compared to the peace of mind that you’ll have knowing you are protected.
  • You may want to consider hiring IT & security staff, either in a full-time capacity or as a contractor. They can make any upgrades or changes that are necessary and give advice on how to improve security.

Control Your Data

  • Keep close tabs on who gets access to sensitive data and who gets administrative privileges. Give access to as few people as possible, and don’t forget to revoke those privileges immediately when a person leaves the board.
  • Don’t keep any information or records longer than you’re legally required to. This significantly reduces what could be stolen if someone were to gain access to your information.  Also, only collect information from residents that is absolutely necessary.  The less you have to lose, the less you can be held accountable for.
  • Fully erase any digital files. Remember: simply clicking delete is not enough! In the event that your network is compromised, having your data backed-up at an offsite location will allow you to recover all of your files. If you choose to back it up to the cloud, you need to have cloud security as well.

Enact Safe Email Protocols

  • Require that members of your board have extra strong email passwords. This will ensure that digital data being sent back and forth is safe.
  • Teach every member of the board how to recognize phishing scams; don’t open links or files from unknown senders.
  • Encrypting your digital data will also safeguard against information being stolen while in cyberspace.

Secure Your Network

Restrict access to your wireless network and make sure you that the network is password protected.  This will safeguard you against hackers happening upon your information by chance.  If necessary, restrict network users’ ability to visit risky or inappropriate sites.

Consider Cyber-Liability Insurance

Unless explicitly stated in your policy, your insurance likely does not cover anything related to cyber attacks. You may want to consider discussing this with your insurance provider.

As with anything else you do as a board, it’s important for each member to be informed and on the same page when it comes to cyber security policy and procedures. This will guarantee that you’ve done your part to keep the HOA network and all of your resident’s information safe and secure.

For additional questions regarding cyber security for your HOA community, contact Spectrum Association Management today.