Internet Security

In our technology heavy world, it is important to understand how to best protect your information from those who are looking to steal it. Review resources below to learn more about internet and information security, how to protect your information, and what to do if your information has been breached.

Email Scams

Pastors, church leaders, and congregation members have been increasingly targeted by scammers. Oftentimes, the scammer pretends to be someone you know and asks you for help “discreetly” or “privately.” This ultimately results in them asking you to send gift cards or wire them money. UPDATE for Fall 2025: the scammer will ask for the church directory. The scammer can then use this information to further target members in phishing scams, often asking for gift cards or a donation.

General guidelines to follow for email scams:

• If it is a congregation member or pastor, reach out to the person in a new message with the contact information you have for them (email, phone or text) and confirm the information they are requesting (ie gift cards, directory).
• If you confirm this is a scam, report the email as “spam” in your email client and delete the email. This let’s your internet service provider mark the sender as a scammer, and prevents the scammer from contacting other people.
• Let the congregation know this is happening in a mass email, so they can be on the lookout.

Additional steps to take if asking for the church directory:

• If this is someone from outside the congregation asking for the church directory, politely but firmly decline, citing wanting to protect the privacy of members. Asking follow-up questions will also help, such as how they heard about the church or if they would like to talk with the pastor. A scammer won’t invest more time.

Bottom line:

If something feels off, ask someone else or reach out in another communication method (call, text, new email) to confirm with the person they are indeed asking for what they need. Trust your gut. Err on the side of caution and asking the person. Don’t worry about offending the person, they will appreciate you being cautious.

Federal Trade Commission Resources

The Federal Trade Commission has resources on current scams and actions you can take to report scams. Learn More.

Password Best Practices

A strong password includes numbers, special characters, and a mix of upper and lower case letters. More websites are allowing spaces, and so a sentence of a few words is also a strong password.

Do not use names, personal information, dictionary words, or guessable phrases. Use different passwords for different websites and systems.

What To Do If Your Computer Has a Virus

• Stop working and disconnect your computer from the internet and server network.
• Report the incident to your supervisor and your technical support person and follow all of their instructions.
• Document the timeframe and what you were doing when it happened.
• Depending on what information has been accessed you will need to disclose that your systems and data has been accessed.
• If you need assistance, reach out to the Director of Technology at the Synod Office.

Social Media Guidelines

• Don’t post confidential information.
• Do not use information you post on social media as your passwords, or security questions.
• Be cautious of participating in the popular “10 Things About Me” posts.
• Be selective with who you connect with and accept friend requests from.