{"id":234865,"date":"2026-06-22T06:52:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T10:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/22\/charity-digital-topics-cyber-security-threats-to-watch-out-for-in-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-06-22T07:05:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T11:05:11","slug":"charity-digital-topics-cyber-security-threats-to-watch-out-for-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/22\/charity-digital-topics-cyber-security-threats-to-watch-out-for-in-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Charity Digital – Topics – Cyber security threats to watch out for in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Charity Digital – Topics – Cyber security threats to watch out for in 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/charitydigital.org.uk\/topics\/cyber-security-threats-to-watch-out-for-in-2026-12637<\/a><\/p>\n

Publish Date: 2026-06-22 06:52:00<\/a><\/p>\n

Source Domain: charitydigital.org.uk<\/a><\/p>\n

Author: <\/a><\/p>\n

Using an unordered list, summarize the following article with between 4 and 8 key points. <\/p>\n

Cyber threats\u00a0can affect any\u00a0organisation, but they can have a disproportionate impact on the charity sector, who provide vital services to their communities and protect large swathes of personal data.\u00a0A cyber breach can cause disruption to services, data loss, financial damage, and reputational harm \u2013 all of which can be extremely\u00a0challenging to a charity committed to doing\u00a0good work\u00a0with already limited time and budgets.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0
\nOne thing\u00a0the charity sector\u00a0can do to prepare for and mitigate the impact of cyber threats in the sector is learn from each other.\u00a0\u00a0The\u00a02026 Cyber Breaches survey, conducted by the UK Government,\u00a0showed that recent high-profile\u00a0cyber attacks\u00a0in the media had \u201cmoved the perception risk from\u00a0cyber attacks\u00a0and breaches up the agenda within\u00a0organisations\u201d.\u00a0Organisations\u00a0are taking cyber security more seriously, understanding the potential ramifications of a cyber threat, and\u00a0taking action to prevent\u00a0them.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0
\nIn this article, we explore a few of the cyber threats that charities need to watch out for in 2026,\u00a0with lessons from those that have recently made the headlines.\u00a0We\u2019ll\u00a0also share practical steps charities can take to mitigate those threats, with insight from cyber security software providers Avast.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0
\nCharities can access Avast products at a discount through Charity Digital, making it easier for non-profits of all sizes to implement robust cyber security to meet the\u00a0evolving threats.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0
\nCyber threats to watch out for in 2026\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0
\nThe prospect of experiencing a cyber breach\u00a0as a result of a deep fake\u00a0feels fantastical. But, particularly with the advent of AI, that is no longer the case.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0
\nAI is making cyber threats more convincing and more sophisticated.\u00a0With generative AI tools, it is\u00a0easier than ever to create a convincing logo or email that\u00a0poses as\u00a0a legitimate\u00a0organisation\u00a0to defraud people,\u00a0persuading them to give away money or access to data that can then be ransomed.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0
\nWith deep fakes, AI goes beyond logos and can create voices or even videos that imitate authority figures.\u00a0In 2024, car\u00a0manufacturers\u00a0Ferrari experienced a deep fake cyber threat when an executive received a\u00a0WhatsApp voice message\u00a0impersonating the CEO.\u00a0Fortunately, the threat was caught by the executive, who noticed\u00a0\u201cinconsistencies in tone during a follow-up call\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0
\nWhat charities\u00a0can\u00a0do: Pause and verify. While deep fakes can be scary, they often use the same tactics as cyber\u00a0threats\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0more familiar with, using urgency and authority to encourage people to act quickly, without time to think.\u00a0So\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0important that, when faced with a potential deep fake, we take time to pause, think about the likelihood of the request, and verify the person\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0talking to, contacting them independently.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0
\nPhishing attacks occur when cyber criminals send out\u00a0fraudulent emails encouraging people to enter sensitive information\u00a0or\u00a0make a payment.\u00a0Like deep fakes, they appeal to someone\u2019s sense of authority, posing as a legitimate request from an\u00a0organisation\u00a0or\u00a0person in power, such as a manager or CEO.\u00a0With AI, they are becoming more convincing and\u00a0consequently\u00a0harder to spot.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0
\nWhat charities\u00a0can\u00a0do:\u00a0Create a cyber-aware culture.\u00a0Creating a\u00a0cyber-aware culture includes training employees to spot suspicious\u00a0emails\u00a0but it also\u00a0involves\u00a0building an environment where people feel safe to report phishing attacks when they occur. Not reporting them promptly can prevent\u00a0organisations\u00a0from responding effectively.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0
\nCharities should create a cyber response plan and share that with their teams so that everyone knows what to do should they fall victim to a phishing email.\u00a0The cyber response plan should include who to report it to, what immediate steps they can take, and what software tools can help.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0
\n\u201cQuishing\u201d is a form of phishing that happens specifically with QR codes. QR codes, purporting to take you to a legitimate site, may take you\u00a0to\u00a0a fraudulent site\u00a0instead\u00a0once scanned.\u00a0The national fraud reporting\u00a0centre\u00a0Action Fraud revealed that \u00a33.5 million was lost to\u00a0quishing\u00a0in 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0
\nThe\u00a0particular difficulty\u00a0with\u00a0quishing\u00a0is\u00a0that it can be hard to spot what website\u00a0you\u2019ll\u00a0be taken to once scanned.\u00a0As\u00a0Which? Points out, QR codes in emails can be used to disguise phishing links in emails.\u00a0But there is always a preview before you are redirected \u2013 ensure that\u00a0the website corresponds with the one you are expecting.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0
\nQuishing\u00a0is particularly prevalent in public areas, such as car parks, and\u00a0charities should be\u00a0cognisant\u00a0of this risk when using QR codes for fundraising.\u00a0It might be worth sharing the risks with your supporters and fundraisers so they can spot potential\u00a0quishing\u00a0in the wild \u2013 signs include\u00a0stickers over the top of\u00a0posters or adverts, suggesting the QR code has been replaced.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0
\nWhat\u00a0charities\u00a0can\u00a0do:\u00a0Staying aware of the risk is essential when it comes to preventing\u00a0quishing.\u00a0Communicate the risks with your teams, explaining what\u00a0quishing\u00a0is and how to\u00a0be\u00a0especially\u00a0careful when making payments. If unsure, go directly to the website you expect to\u00a0be visiting,\u00a0rather than\u00a0through\u00a0the\u00a0QR code. For supporters, always offer them multiple ways to donate or access your content, with clear links so they know where they are going and can spot if things\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0match up.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0
\nWhile cyber awareness training is essential, cyber threats can still find a way through. The best way to remain cyber secure is to invest in robust cyber security software. And it\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0have to be expensive.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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