IT security professionals are being encouraged to give up time to help with understaffed charities.
The concept of “GiveADay” is set to be launched next month at the IP Expo conference in London and will encourage professionals to commit to give a day to help charities in all aspects of IT, security and data privacy.
Following the launch, professionals can register to offer their skills and experience, called contributions, to a charity. GiveADay will then match an appropriately skilled and available professional with a specific charity based on that charity’s requirements.
Speaking to IT Security Guru, founder and CISO Amar Singh said that this was an embryonic initiative that started as an idea to what skills could be gathered and to help charities who did not know how to collect such skills.
He said: “I have talked to organisations and some have given up two or five days, and some just a few hours. This is a bit like Match.com but for security professionals.
“Once you register, you decide what your contributions are and complete a self assessment. If a charity creates a job and needs help, then it has a category to choose from. The intention is to make it as simple as possible and help those who do not have the skills connect with those that do.”
Charities including Great Ormond Street Hospital, Future First and Cancer Research have already signed up to the GiveADay scheme, while around 100 volunteers have signed up so far, professionals from HMRC, HP and consultancies.
Ian Chivers, director of finance and operations at Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity, said: “Information Security has always been and continues to be a big focal point for us and the GiveADay movement sounds like a great way to achieve greater focus across the sector and collectively pool our knowledge and experience.
“Our members – service users and supporters alike – trust us with a lot of their personal data. Protecting their private information is of utmost importance to us and we are delighted that the UK’s best talent are willing to help us with this, via the GiveADay movement.”
Martyn Croft, co-founder of the Charities Security Forum (CSF), said: “For GiveADay to facilitate easy access to freely given expertise in this way is a fantastic opportunity for all charities to further enhance the information security so essential in their work.”
GiveADay will be officially launched on October 9th 2014. Visit the website to register – www.GiveADay.co.uk.
