One of the fastest growing areas of dispute resolution is Ombuds. Ombuds offices are being steadily established at every level of government, in academia, by non-profits, and throughout our traditional and sharing economies. This growth has been supported by new International Ombuds Association (IOA) data and security standards and by the development of a new online platform built specifically for the operation of Ombuds offices.
Resourceful Internet Solutions, Inc., (RIS) has long taken the lead in the development of online Ombuds technology first with the development of CaseloadManager.com and now with the new RIS secure platform available at Ombuds.org.
Why should Ombuds worry about cybersecurity?
As we move more of our lives online, especially in the wake of the global pandemic, cybersecurity is
growing in importance throughout the Internet. The measures we have taken in the past to protect the privacy of our visitors are often no longer adequate. Every email, text message, and video chat can generate sensitive information, and it is our responsibility to ensure that all this information that is shared with your Ombuds office is appropriately managed and protected.
If your office is a victim of unauthorized access, it may cause harm to your constituencies, inflict reputational
damage to your program, and potentially trigger regulatory sanctions. What's more, cyberattacks are
growing in frequency and complexity. Your cybersecurity practices likely need to be updated to avoid attacks both today and into the future.
In order to help you mitigate the risk to your Ombuds office of cyber breaches, we have prepared this list of best
practices that detail simple steps you can take to protect your Ombuds staff and constituencies.
Get your copy of Ombuds.org's Cybersecurity Best Practices Guide HERE.
Also see our video on "Online Data Security" for Ombuds Offices:
Finally, see our updated article, "Caseload Manager Helps Ombuds Offices Meet Best Practice Standards."
