Networking Your Nonprofit: Security and Telephony

Now that you've set up your network, you need to keep it safe, and to think about what it can do beyond file sharing and managing your Internet access.

Keep Your Networks Secure

Whether it's a virus hidden in an email, an unexpected server crash, or someone hacking into online transactions, threats to your nonprofit's or library's data and computers are always there.

There are two things you need to keep in mind at this step: protection against malware, and a way to backup your server and computer data. This usually means setting up a second server to back up data as you work, or configuring a NAS to serve as a backup.

Next, look to protect your donor, client, and project information across your entire network of "endpoints" (desktops, laptops, and servers) with Symantec's donated enterprise-level security software.

Endpoint Protection suites guard against botnets, viruses, worms, Trojan horses, rootkits, spam, and spyware. Plus, they take your organization's security one step further with firewalls to block phishing, adware, and intrusion.

Learn More About Enterprise Security

We have a variety of security-related articles, webinars, and community discussions to help you get the most out of your software's capabilities, including:

• TechSoup's Keep Systems Secure section which highlights articles, blog posts, and breaking security alerts on the web.
• A free endpoint-level security webinar with Symantec's Andrew Singer.
• Our Virus Vaccination and Computer Security Forum, hosted by security expert Gary Lamontagne.
• The Disaster Planning and Recovery featured topic, our comprehensive guide to ensuring that your nonprofit or library is prepared for disasters, security breaches, data loss, and more.
• Learn to set up and configure a firewall.

VoIP and Your Network

VoIP telecommunications services — like those available from our donor partner BetterWorld Telecom — provide nonprofits with flexible and hosted telephone systems.

They enable unified communications, which is essentially the ability to send and receive messages from any device.

VoIP unifies all your organization's telephones, mobile phones, fax machines, and computers through a virtual PBX software application.

For example, a user could receive a voicemail as a text message on the phone and reply to it using email. Or, a call can ring your desk phone for a set amount of rings, then switch to your mobile, and when you pick up, you can transfer the call to a colleague from your mobile, as if you were sitting in an office.

Using this system to manage your telephony results in increased flexibility and mobility. It allows work to happen where and when it is most convenient and releases your organization from traditional offices and methods of working.

Keep Reading

Check out the rest of my short series on networks:

• The Basics
• Let's Talk About Hardware
• Servers and Server Software