(And how Illinois nonprofits can say, “Not today.”)
I see you.
January is a lot in Chicago and across Illinois. new programs, new interns, new grant cycles, board goals. You’re caring for people, not passwords.
But while you’re serving the community, someone else is making plans too.
Cybercriminals make New Year’s resolutions. And yes, nonprofits in Illinois are on the list.
Let’s peek at their plan and quietly ruin it.
Quick Take: The 3 things that stop most nonprofit attacks
If you only do three things this month, do these:
- MFA everywhere (especially email + finance)
- Callback rule for money + data requests
- Tested backups (not “we think it’s backing up”)
Simple. Boring. Extremely effective.
Resolution #1: “Our emails will look real.”
Scam emails don’t look clumsy anymore. With AI, they sound normal, use your nonprofit’s language, even name real vendors or partners.
A January example:
“Hi Jessica, the updated invoice bounced. Can you confirm this is still the right email for finance? Here’s the new version.”
No typos. No drama. Just… believable.
Your countermove (simple, human, doable)
- Verify, don’t just read. Any request for money, gift cards, passwords, or W-2s gets a callback to a known number.
- Use smart filters. Turn on email protections that flag suspicious senders and “look-alike” domains.
- Praise the pause. Make “I checked before I clicked” a win in staff meetings.
Local note: This matters even more when you’re juggling busy-season work, fundraisers, year-end donor follow-up, and program kickoffs.
Resolution #2: “We’ll pretend to be your partners, or your boss.”
Vendor bank-change email. “CEO” text needing an urgent wire.
Now add deepfake voices that sound like your ED from a podcast clip.
It’s not sci-fi. It’s Tuesday.
Your countermove
- Bank changes = callback rule. Always call a known contact. Never use the number in the email.
- Two-person check for payments. No single person moves money alone.
- MFA on finance and admin tools. A stolen password shouldn’t open the whole house.
Tip for boards: This is one of the easiest policy updates to approve, because it protects donor money without adding a huge workload.
Resolution #3: “We’ll hit small orgs on purpose.”
Big companies leveled up. Small and mid-sized nonprofits are caring, busy, and short on time.
Attackers love “busy.”
Your countermove
- Do the basics well. MFA, updates, tested backups. When you’re not the easy target, most attackers move on.
- Retire this phrase: “We’re too small to be a target.”
You’re not too small to be loved by your community or targeted by criminals. - Get a real partner. You don’t need a giant security team. You need someone watching your back.
Illinois area reality: With lean teams and volunteers, you need guardrails that work even when everyone is stretched.
Resolution #4: “We’ll use New-Hire Season and Tax Time.”
New staff and volunteers don’t know your rules yet. They want to help fast. Scammers know this.
Next up: W-2 and payroll scams that try to grab every employee’s SSN before tax filing.
Your countermove
- Security in onboarding. Before inbox access, teach the red flags and your “call to verify” rule.
- Write the rules down.
- “We never email W-2s.”
- “All payment requests get a callback.” Post it. Practice it.
- Celebrate verification. When someone slows down to check, clap for it.
Silent Shields: How We Keep Illinois Nonprofits Safer
We pair people-first training with behind-the-scenes protection that works every day, especially for busy nonprofits across Chicago, Cook County, DuPage, Lake, Will, Kane, and McHenry.
Policy & Patch Enforcement (device safety, automatically)
Think of this like a seatbelt you don’t have to remember to buckle. It keeps devices up to date, applies security settings, and closes risky gaps automatically, so one missed update doesn’t become tomorrow’s crisis.
Email Authentication & Anti-Spoofing (prove “it’s really us”)
This locks down your domain so attackers can’t pretend to be your nonprofit, reduces spoofed messages, and gives clear reports so we can fine-tune protection without breaking legitimate email.
What this means for you
- Fewer fake emails reaching staff
- Less “update now” chaos on busy days
- Clear visibility into what’s protected, and what needs attention
- Stronger donor trust because your brand can’t be easily impersonated
Prevention beats recovery. Every time.
You can pay after a breach, ransom, forensics, notices, cleanup, or pay a fraction now for good locks, good training, and quiet monitoring.
The best outcome is… nothing happens.
You don’t buy a fire extinguisher after the fire. You buy it because you never want to use it.
How a mission-minded IT partner helps you ruin a cybercriminal’s year
A great nonprofit IT support partner in the Illinois area will:
- Watch systems 24/7 and flag trouble fast
- Lock accounts so one stolen password isn’t a master key
- Train staff on today’s scams (the sneaky ones, not the cartoon ones)
- Set “trust but verify” payment policies
- Maintain and test backups so ransomware is a speed bump, not a shutdown
- Patch software before bad actors walk through the door
- Deploy domain protection and policy tools to keep security steady and simple
Fire prevention, not firefighting.
Make this the year you protect donor trust
Book a 15-minute Nonprofit Security Reality Check.
We’ll show:
- where you’re exposed,
- what matters most, and
- the fastest, budget-wise steps to lower risk, without jargon or scare tactics.
FAQ
Do small nonprofits in Illinois really get targeted?
Yes. Smaller orgs are often targeted because they’re busy and lean. Good basics (MFA, backups, anti-spoofing) stop most attacks.
What’s the fastest, budget-friendly cybersecurity win?
Turn on MFA everywhere, especially email, finance, and admin accounts. Then add a callback rule for money and sensitive data requests.
Can you help nonprofits across the Chicago suburbs?
Yes,many nonprofits have hybrid teams across illinois. Security policies and monitoring should work no matter where staff or volunteers log in.
Because the best New Year’s resolution is staying off someone else’s list.
