Notice of Blackbaud Data Security Breach

Cuso International was recently notified by Blackbaud, one of our third-party service providers, of a cyber security incident.

What Happened?

On Thursday, July 16, we were notified by Blackbaud that it had discovered and stopped a ransomware incident in May 2020. As one of the world’s largest Customer Relationship Management (CRM) providers, this cyber attack has affected many of Blackbaud’s clients around the world and we now know this breach included data on the Cuso community.

It is important to note that Blackbaud has advised Cuso International that the breach did not include sensitive financial information, credit card numbers, banking information, SIN numbers, usernames or passwords, which were encrypted.

What Does This Mean for You?

Cuso International takes the protection and proper use of your information very seriously. Blackbaud has advised us there has been no further distribution or public disclosure of this information. Forensic experts have been hired by Blackbaud to monitor for any reappearance of the data, and we are continuing to communicate with them to understand and address the impact of this incident on our supporters. As part of their ongoing efforts to help prevent something like this from happening in the future, Blackbaud has implemented several changes that will protect your data from any subsequent incidents.

What You Can Do

Access to your personal data puts you at higher risk for “phishing” attempts and communications from untrustworthy sources. Please remain alert to any third-party communications that references your relationship with Cuso International. As always, monitor your accounts for any suspicious and unauthorized activity.

What We Are Doing

Immediately on notification, we began our own investigation of the security incident to determine the full scope of Cuso’s data that may have been at risk. We have been in constant communication with Blackbaud and independent professionals to fully understand the situation as it relates to our community.

Blackbaud has advised us that their investigations have not revealed evidence of further distribution or public disclosure of this information. Forensic experts hired by Blackbaud are monitoring for any reappearance of the data. As part of ongoing efforts to help prevent something like this from happening in the future, Blackbaud has assured us several changes have been implemented.

For More Information

We value the trust of our community of donors, volunteers, partners and supporters, and regret the concern this has caused. We want to assure you that we are doing everything we can to guarantee your information is protected in the future. Should you have any further questions regarding this matter please do not hesitate to contact us at info@cusointernational.org or 1-888-434-2876 ext. 204.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Jessica Cunha
news@cusointernational.org
613-829-7445 ext. 346

About Cuso International:

Founded in 1961, Cuso International is a not-for-profit organization based in Canada. We work in partnership with governments, civil society organizations, multilateral agencies and the private sector to develop and deliver programs aimed at advancing gender equality, promoting the empowerment of women and girls, and improving access to and quality of economic opportunities for young people. In addition, each year, we mobilize hundreds of volunteer professionals to work alongside local partners to maximize their impact and build capacity.

Learn more about Cuso’s impact at cusointernational.org.