Every day, organisations hear warnings about “data breaches” or “cyberattacks”, but for many civil society organisations (CSOs), these terms feel abstract. What does a hacker actually do with a stolen password, a leaked spreadsheet, or an inbox full of sensitive emails? Why go after a small CSO or community-based group at all?
The truth is: stolen data is rarely useless. For attackers, every piece of information is valuable, either on its own or when combined with other data. And once it’s out of your hands, you lose control over how it will be used, sold, or exploited.
This article breaks down the most common ways hackers profit from or weaponise stolen information, and why CSOs are not exempt from the threat.
Stolen Data is a Commodity: It Gets Sold
The first thing to understand is that there’s an entire underground economy built around stolen information. On the dark web, usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, medical records, donor databases, and even social media logins are bought and sold like products in a marketplace.
- Login details: A single set of working email credentials might sell for just a few dollars, but bulk databases containing thousands of accounts can fetch much higher prices.
- Financial data: Credit card information, bank accounts, and payroll records are particularly attractive to fraudsters.
- Personal information: Names, dates of birth, addresses, and ID numbers are valuable for identity theft schemes.
For a CSO, this could mean that the contact information of your beneficiaries, donors, or staff becomes part of a database sold to scammers. Even if your organisation is not directly targeted afterwards, your community could be harmed.
Data Fuels Identity Theft and Impersonation
Hackers don’t just sell data, they use it. With enough details, attackers can impersonate individuals or organisations to commit fraud or gain access to more valuable systems.
- Impersonating staff members: If an attacker knows your staff email, phone number, and role, they can convincingly pose as them to trick others into sharing additional information.
- Impersonating your organisation: A hacker with donor lists and communication templates can craft phishing emails that look authentic, tricking supporters into sending money to the wrong place.
- Impersonating beneficiaries: Stolen data from communities you serve can be used to apply for loans, benefits, or services under someone else’s name.
For CSOs, where trust is everything, impersonation can devastate your reputation, and erode the confidence of the people who depend on you.
Data Becomes Leverage for Blackmail and Ransom
Sometimes hackers don’t need to sell or impersonate, the threat of exposure is more than enough.
- Ransomware attacks: This is where hackers encrypt your files, and demand payment for access. Without backups, organisations often feel forced to pay to keep their operations alive.
- Data blackmail: If attackers steal sensitive information (such as internal communications, advocacy strategies, or reports), they can threaten to release it unless you comply with their demands.
For CSOs, which often work in politically sensitive spaces, this kind of attack can be especially harmful. It’s not just about money, it can silence voices, halt campaigns, and put vulnerable communities at risk.
Data is Used for Espionage or Political Gain
Not all hackers are motivated purely by money. Some are backed by states, interest groups, or powerful actors with political agendas.
- Surveillance: CSOs advocating for human rights, democracy, or governance reforms may be targeted so adversaries can monitor their activities.
- Disruption: By leaking confidential documents or exposing donor information, attackers can weaken an organisation’s credibility.
- Control: Access to communications can give hostile actors insight into strategy, partnerships, and funding streams.
In these cases, the stolen data isn’t traded on the dark web but used strategically to undermine civil society.
Small Breaches Add Up: Data Gets Combined
One of the biggest misconceptions is that “a little leak won’t hurt.” In reality, attackers are patient, they collect data from multiple sources and piece it together into a complete picture.
- A leaked email address from one breach, combined with a phone number from another, and a public LinkedIn profile, can be enough to guess passwords or trick staff into clicking malicious links.
- Small details about your systems, roles, or partners can be combined to plan more targeted, damaging attacks.
This is why even “minor” breaches should be taken seriously. Each piece of stolen data is like a puzzle piece, and attackers are excellent at completing the puzzle.
Why this matters for you
Civil society organisations sometimes believe their data isn’t “valuable enough” to attract hackers. The reality is different:
- Donor data can be exploited for fraud.
- Beneficiary data can be weaponised against vulnerable communities.
- Internal communications can be exposed to discredit advocacy.
- Operational data can be stolen to disrupt or paralyse your work.
For CSOs, protecting data isn’t just about avoiding inconvenience, it’s about safeguarding your mission, and the trust of the people you serve.
How CSOs Can Protect Themselves
While no system is completely risk-free, there are practical steps every organisation can take to make data theft harder:
- Train staff regularly on recognising phishing and social engineering attacks.
- Use strong, unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication on all accounts.
- Encrypt sensitive data, and back it up regularly in secure locations.
- Keep software and devices updated with the latest security patches.
- Limit access to sensitive data to only those who ‘truly’ need it.
When hackers steal data, they don’t just stash it away. They sell it, exploit it, ransom it, combine it, and use it to cause harm. For CSOs, the stakes are even higher because the data you hold often involves vulnerable people, sensitive causes, and hard-earned donor trust.
Cybersecurity is a mission-critical responsibility. By understanding what hackers want and how they use stolen information, CSOs can take steps to protect not just their systems, but also the people and communities they exist to serve.