We take Security Seriously
You're worried about security and privacy, and so are we.
Your Instant Church Directory administrator account is protected by a username and password that only you should know. Using a strong and unique password (i.e. that is not used for other purposes) containing a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols can significantly reduce the chances of your account being compromised. It is essential to take the necessary steps to protect your username and password to ensure the safety and security of the personal information contained within your directory account. It is important that administrators understand the importance of safeguarding the directory information and ultimately who has access to the directory.
We take your privacy and your church members' privacy very seriously. We are always ensuring our website and databases are up to date with the latest security patches to protect against any current and future security threats. To ensure your directories are safe, we only allow access to members who are entered in the directory by administrators, and directories are automatically "wiped" from devices if you remove a member from your directory.
Search engines do not crawl any of the directory data located within the password-protected portion.
- Mobile Apps Security
- Online Member Directory Security
- PDF Security
- Member Information Security
- Optional Two-Factor Authentication
Mobile Apps Security
Only active members an administrator has entered into a directory can gain access once their email address has been verified. We recommend any and all access requests by members be vetted or verified by an administrator. Access can be revoked by inactivating any member or removing their email address. If you prefer your directory is not available via the app, simply disable the feature. Available Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security for your members. We always recommend enabling this feature for a greater level of security and access to your church directory.
Online Member Directory Security
Only active members who are vetted and entered in the directory by an administrator can log in to the members' website once their email has been verified. Once a member is removed from a directory, they no longer have access to the directory. You can also make members inactive if they do not want their information to be shown on the online directory or app. Available Two-factor authentication provides additional security measures. We always recommend enabling this feature for a more robust level of security and access verification.
PDF Security
One output of Instant Church Directory is an optional PDF file. We recommend that this PDF always have a strong, unique password. Only individuals who have the PDF password can access the directory PDF. Please do not post your PDF password in any public location or with the PDF.
Sharing your PDF responsibly is crucial in today's digital age. With the personal information available within a directory, an unprotected PDF can be used by cybercriminals to access the personal data of your members with ill intent. We only post the PDF files to the account administrator. The account administrator has control over whether it is made public and available for search. For instance, a directory PDF can be made public by posting a link to it on your church’s website (but always with recommended password protection). You can remove the ability to share or stop sharing your PDF at any time.
If you put the Directory PDF URL on your website, search engines are able to find your church directory PDF. It is still protected by the password you assigned and members’ information is inaccessible without the password.
Member Information Security
Even though your data is stored with us, we at Instant Church Directory do not access your members' data, except for specific troubleshooting purposes within the directory. All data provided by members is held securely and we do not use member information such as phone numbers or emails for marketing purposes (either internally or by selling the information to other organizations).
Data Storage and Security
For our member directory, we send down the member data from our server to the mobile devices via SSL/encryption. Once a device has synced, that data is stored locally on the device (and therefore is not encrypted).
Directory Data is stored using a private cloud environment in a private data center (meaning it does not operate in a "shared environment" with others).
We use industry best practices for securing and backing up our servers and data, including proactive 24-7 monitoring of our services for possible intrusions.
We want you to feel completely comfortable and at ease using Instant Church Directory to create, generate and store your church's directory.
For Your Members' Security: Optional Two-Factor Authentication
With Instant Church Directory, you have the option to enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA). 2FA is a security process that requires users to provide two different types of identification — or authentication factors — in order to access a system, account, or application. The two factors typically include something the user knows (in this case, the email address that is in the directory and something the user has (such as a mobile device or computer). By requiring both factors, 2FA makes it much harder for someone to gain unauthorized access, even if they manage to obtain one factor (such as a password).
Two-factor authentication helps to ensure that only authorized users can access sensitive information or perform certain actions. When enabled, your members use the mobile app or member website to register the device(s) they will use to access the directory. They will be asked to register their devices via email and will be prompted with this authentication step any time they access the directory on a new device, such as a new phone or a new location on a computer.
By enabling two-factor authentication, you will be turning this on for every active member in your directory who wishes to create and use a login for viewing the directory in the Mobile App or Member Website.