TLS 1.1 Communication to constituents

Kevin Wesley 2 · February 2018

Getting ready to draft some messaging to constituents about the impending need to upgrade browsers and OS. Was wondering if anyone has any sample language or letters they'd be willing to share??

Jennifer Lucarelli · February 2018

after much discussion with our IT department, this is what we ended up with:

Effective March 15, 2018

TLS internet requirements will change.

What is TLS?

TLS stands for "Transport Layer Security." It is a protocol that provides privacy and data integrity between two communicating applications. It’s the most widely deployed security protocol used today, and is used for various web browsers and other financially based applications that require data to be securely exchanged over a network. The versions of TLS to date are TLS 1.0, 1.1, and 1.2. TLS 1.0 will no longer be compatible with the software used throughout the Office of Catholic Charities and the Bishop's Appeal.

I'm not a "techie" - so what does this mean for me?

If you regularly update your computer/device using Microsoft Windows Updates, Mac, or iOS, for example, you most likely won't need to do anything at all.

However, if you are working on an older computer or haven't performed update processes in a long time, and if you regularly use donation pages or other secure web pages such as banking, credit card management, online shopping, etc., you may lose access to those pages until you upgrade your device. This means you will not be able to make online donations for organizations like ours with your Credit or Debit card.

What action do I need to take?

We recommend that you upgrade your operating system and web browsers to TLS 1.1+ supported versions to ensure continuity of communications and transactions with our offices. To successfully updgrade your software, please consult with your personal IT technician or Operating System Support Center.

** Due to the complex nature and endless variables, our offices are not able to assist you with the updating process.

Kevin Wesley 2 · February 2018

Thanks so much for your help!

---

Kevin Wesley

Executive Director of Alumni and Friends Engagement and the Clark
Fund

University Advancement | Clark University

950 Main Street | Worcester, MA 01610

Office: 508.793.7532 | Cell: 312.292.1088 | Fax:
508.793.8824

Toll Free: 888.257.5363

Watch the
Campaign Clark video and learn more

about the goals and
priorities h ere.

Mirijam Marx · February 2018

Kevin Wesley:

Thanks so much for your help!

---

Kevin Wesley

Executive Director of Alumni and Friends Engagement and the Clark Fund

University Advancement | Clark University

950 Main Street | Worcester, MA 01610

Office: 508.793.7532 | Cell: 312.292.1088 | Fax: 508.793.8824

Toll Free: 888.257.5363

Watch the Campaign Clark video and learn more

about the goals and priorities h ere.

Hi Kevin,

we decided to not communicate with our constituents, as our IT has been upgraded beyon TLS 1.1 for a while now (since before the Blackbaud communication on this topic started). This means that our constiutents would have already had this issue for about 1.5 years, if not longer. Most people's browsers will already be compliant anyway, and given that we have never had any complaints, it does seem to be incredibly rare that people experience issues. We therefore decided to not communicate with our constituents, as we felt it was more likely to cause unecessary concern and confusion, and decided to deal with it on a by-case basis if it does come up.

Having said all that, it will depend on the level of IT confidence your constituents are likely to have, as this might reduce the risk of causing confusion if messaging them, and how many constituents you have, as this would increase the risk of having to deal with complaints/questions.

Hope this helps,

Kind wishes,

Mirijam

TLS 1.1 Communication to constituents

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What is TLS?

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