Technical Badges Of A Highly Secured Fundraising Site
Many people today are extremely concerned about their personal security. Because of this, they often aren't likely to donate to a cause if they don't think that the website is secured. Creating a secure fundraising site is one thing — making sure that it appears secure is another thing entirely. Here are a few things that may help assuage some of the potential fears of your donors.
HTTPS Encrypted Protection Support
To properly encrypt traffic, you need to make sure that you have an SSL certificate enabled on your website. Consumers look not only for SSL certificates (badges that are placed on the website itself), but also for the "https" in their browser window. Many users today will not put their credit card information in a non-secured connection at all, so they certainly aren't going to be willing to donate. There are free SSL certifications available and many hosting services offer at least one SSL certification for free.
Security Certifications
There are quite a few third-party certification agencies that run audits on websites to ensure that they have adequate security. There are also specific security standards that websites can follow, including government-level security and military grade encryption. Websites that follow these metrics can place their certifications on their website to show their donors that they are protected. They just need to make sure that they are adequately meeting these security standards.
Insurance Information
Websites can also protect both themselves and their donors through the use of insurance. Once insured, a charity can state that they are insured up to a certain amount — especially for fraud or theft. This will let donors know that the charity is prepared in the event that the worst happens. Fundraisers may want to invest specifically in cyber security protection, as this will give them everything they need to protect themselves from liability and financial disruption should an attack occur.
CAPTCHA Code Verification
CAPTCHA codes are often thought to ensure good data when forms are being uploaded, but they also perform a very serious security task. These codes prevent against DDoS attacks: brute force attacks that involve delivering large volumes of information to a server in hopes that the website will perform erratically or go down entirely. Most users don't know exactly what these codes do, but they do know it increases security in general.
Online fundraising websites are extraordinarily effective ways to raise money, especially towards specific initiatives that the community feels strongly about. But without cyber security and visible security protections, donors may feel cautious about contributing. The better prepared a website owner is, the more likely they are to get the funding they need — and the more trustworthy their fundraising efforts will be.