Creating trust and safety in your online community 

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When people join an online community, they’re placing their trust in the environment you’ve created—a place where they can engage, share, and grow without fear of harassment, data misuse, or disruptive behavior. But Trust and Safety (T&S) in online platforms doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built through intentional strategies that prioritize safety, privacy, and responsible moderation.

Using a platform with advanced security features—like Hivebrite—is just the first step in creating a truly safe online community. Trust and safety require both technical tools and human oversight. Thoughtful moderation plays a key role in protecting your members and maintaining trust. In this article, we’ll walk through some practical, easy-to-implement strategies that will help you build a secure and welcoming community. Let’s get started!

Potential security threats to online communities

Before we dive into strategy, it’s important to understand the common threats that online communities face. Any time you ask someone to create an account and share personal information, there’s an inherent level of risk. Knowing what to watch out for is the first step in creating a safe space.

Here are some of the top threats to be aware of:

Malware and viruses

Malicious software can be introduced through shared links or files, putting both individual users and your platform at risk.

Phishing attacks

Scammers may pose as community members or admins to trick users into sharing sensitive information, such as passwords or credit card numbers.

Data breaches

Unauthorized access to user data—whether through weak passwords or outdated software—can compromise your community’s trust and reputation.

Misinformation and fake accounts

Bots or impersonators can spread false information, derail conversations, or manipulate engagement, undermining the integrity of your space.

Trolls and harassment 

Similarly, some individuals join communities with the intent to provoke, disrupt, or harass others. This behavior can quickly erode the sense of safety and trust within the group, especially if left unmoderated.

Spam and inappropriate self-promotion

Whether it’s constant self-promotion, unsolicited advertising, or posting irrelevant content, spammy behavior can clutter conversations, frustrate members, and dilute the value of your community if not kept in check.

That’s some serious storm clouds on the horizon! Fortunately, there’s a ray of sunshine: these risks can be significantly reduced with the right software and moderation. Choosing a platform that prioritizes data security lays a strong foundation. From there, community managers play a key role in promoting smart practices, educating members, and establishing clear safety protocols.

Best practices for securing online communities

No matter what platform you use to host your community, security features should be a top priority. A reliable platform does more than protect personal data. It also helps create a safe and welcoming environment where members feel confident engaging with others.

For example, Hivebrite includes industry-leading data encryption and builds comprehensive security and privacy checks into every stage of its software development process. These safeguards are designed to protect our communities from a wide range of digital threats. 

As a community manager, it’s important to not only make sure that your platform offers advanced security features but that they are properly activated and configured. Here are some of the key protections to look for:

Access controls

Access controls let you decide who can join your community, what spaces members can see, and what actions they’re allowed to take. This helps you keep your community secure by giving the right level of access to the right people. For instance, you might set up admin approval for new members based upon certain criteria or limit private groups to specific member types.

Data encryption

Protect sensitive information in your community—like personal details, messages, and login credentials—with data encryption, which essentially scrambles this information so that it’s only accessible via the right decryption key. This keeps your members’ information secure, even if someone tries to intercept it.

Multi-factor authentication

Skipping MFA might seem convenient, but it adds a critical layer of protection to your community by requiring more than just a password to log in. This is typically a code sent to a user’s phone email, which makes it much harder for unauthorized users to access your community.

Regular security audits

Reviewing your community’s security settings and systems on a regular basis helps catch vulnerabilities before they become problems. These audits can uncover outdated permissions, missed updates, or gaps in your moderation tools that need attention.

The role of community managers in security

Once you’ve got your platform’s security features dialed, it’s time to level up your moderation practices to ensure a safe online environment. There’s a lot that can be done with a soft touch.

Develop—and use—community guidelines

Hopefully, you set up community guidelines from the outset as these are a fundamental element of launching a new platform. These rules should outline acceptable behavior, covering things like respectful language, bullying, spam, and sharing personal information. When issues come up, you can point members back to the guidelines, and if needed, take further action to suspend or remove those who don’t follow them.

Moderate content and community activity

Sometimes, members may not realize that their behavior is causing tension or making others feel unsafe. As a community manager, this is your chance to step in, provide guidance, and model healthy ways to engage.

When intentional bad actors do show up, it’s important to act quickly, removing harmful content and addressing the behavior. If the incident was visible to many, communicating that action was taken helps reassure your community that you’ve got their backs.

Fix broken links, site problems, and outdated content

While things like broken links or outdated content might not pose a direct security threat, keeping your community clean and up-to-date shows that it’s well maintained. This helps build trust and encourages members to treat the space with the same respect.

Fix or remove broken links and address site issues as soon as they come up. The same goes for old content. Retire anything that’s no longer relevant or useful. When your members see that you’re present and attentive, they’re more likely to stay engaged and follow suit.

How Hivebrite takes the guesswork out of security

Hivebrite uses industry-leading security measures to keep your community’s data safe. From advanced encryption and certified protections to regular vulnerability scans and third-party testing, security is built into everything we do—from product design to daily operations. Want to learn more? Explore our full list of security features or contact our team with any questions.