Cybersecurity: Loving your (digital) neighbour

Tristram Ridley-Jones  |  Features
Date posted:  30 Jan 2026
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Cybersecurity: Loving your (digital) neighbour

Photo by FlyD on Unsplash

It is a Tuesday morning in the church office. The administrator sits down, coffee in hand, to process the weekly DBS checks for the new Sunday School volunteers. It is a mundane, administrative task, a "Martha" moment in a world that often prizes "Mary" spirituality. But in today's day and age, this simple act of administration has become a frontline of spiritual stewardship.

Last year, the data breach involving the Access Personal Checking Services (APCS) (a third-party supplier used by many dioceses and Christian organisations) served as a stark wake-up call. It reminded us that the church is not invisible to the digital threats that prowl the modern world. For many church leaders, terms like "phishing," "ransomware," and "two-factor authentication" feel like a distraction from the Great Commission. They would rather talk about grace than firewalls.

However, if we view cybersecurity through the lens of Scripture, we find it is not merely an IT problem; it is a matter of stewardship, integrity, and ultimately, loving our neighbour.

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