Volume 65-January 2026

Association Technologies Newsletter, Volume 65, January 2026

Tech Tips

What Are Your Organization’s Technology New Year’s Resolutions?

by Mark Granquist

As another year begins, many of us create New Year’s resolutions. Why not have organizational resolutions? The rapid evolution of digital tools, regulatory expectations, and cyber threats makes it essential to set intentional, future‑focused resolutions. Whether your association is scaling operations, navigating new products, or strengthening internal systems, three areas consistently rise to the top: data governance, artificial intelligence (AI), and security.

1. Strengthen Data Governance for Better Trust and Decision‑Making

Data is one of the most valuable assets an association possesses—but only if it’s accurate, secure, and accessible to the right people. This year, many organizations are making data governance a top priority to enhance compliance, efficiency, and strategic clarity.

Key resolutions for data governance:

Establish or refine a unified data governance framework. This includes formal policies for data stewardship, metadata standards, lifecycle management, and clear ownership across departments.
Improve data quality and consistency. Organizations are setting goals to eliminate duplicate records, reduce manual errors, and implement automated data validation tools.
Enhance transparency and compliance. With regulations evolving rapidly, many organizations are committing to more robust audit trails, permission-based access, and adherence to privacy laws.
Promote a data‑driven culture. Training teams to understand and properly use data tools will be central to achieving the full value of governance initiatives.

A sound data governance strategy helps break down silos, improves analytics accuracy, and ensures that data can be trusted across the organization.

2. Expand and Operationalize Artificial Intelligence

AI has moved from a future concept to a present necessity. From automation to decision support, associations are prioritizing AI not just as a tool, but as a strategic capability.

Key resolutions for AI:

Accelerate responsible AI adoption. Organizations will explore areas such as process automation, forecasting, customer engagement, and personalized employee tools.
Invest in AI literacy across the workforce. This includes training teams on AI basics, AI ethics, and how to collaborate effectively with AI systems.
Integrate AI into core business operations. Many associations are resolving to embed AI into workflows like membership support, finance operations, HR analytics, and many others.
Enhance governance around AI usage. Establishing guidelines for model validation, data handling, and bias mitigation is becoming a priority as AI capabilities expand.

The overarching goal is to treat AI as an organizational accelerator—reducing manual burden, improving speed, and unlocking new opportunities for innovation.

3. Reinforce Security in an Era of Increased Threats

With cyber threats growing in sophistication, security remains one of the most critical areas for organizational focus. New Year’s resolutions around security reflect a shift from reactive defense to proactive resilience.

Key resolutions for security:

Implement zero‑trust principles. Organizations are moving toward “never trust, always verify,” particularly as hybrid work and multi‑cloud environments expand.
Improve identity and access management. Multi‑factor authentication, conditional access rules, and regular access reviews are becoming standard commitments.
Enhance incident response readiness. This includes updating playbooks, running simulation exercises, and improving communication pathways for rapid response.
Expand security awareness training. Human error remains a leading vulnerability. Organizations are committing to more frequent, engaging, and role‑specific training programs.

Elevating security posture protects not only systems but also organizational reputation and customer trust.

Conclusion

This year’s technology resolutions—prioritizing data governance, AI, and security—reflect a broader shift toward resilience, responsibility, and strategic innovation. Organizations that focus on these three pillars will be better positioned to handle regulatory shifts, adapt to technological change, and empower their teams with tools that improve productivity and decision‑making.

Don’t Get Tricked: Beware of the “ClickFix” Scam

by Tyler Schenk

A new and increasingly common online scam known as “ClickFix” is targeting individuals and organizations alike. This tactic relies on social engineering to trick users into unknowingly installing malware on their own computers. Activity increased throughout 2025 and continues into 2026. The scam is designed to appear helpful, presenting itself as a way to “fix” a technical issue, when in reality, it creates a serious security problem.

How the ClickFix Scam Works

ClickFix typically begins with a routine online interaction:

You click a link in an unsolicited email, a misleading advertisement, or visit a compromised website.
A pop‑up appears displaying a convincing but false error message, such as a browser error, system warning, or “human verification (Captcha)” prompt.

The page then instructs you to click a “Fix” or “Verify” button. Behind the scenes, this action copies a malicious command to your clipboard. You’re then guided through steps such as: “Press Windows + R, paste the text, and press Enter to resolve the issue.” By following these instructions, the user unknowingly executes the malicious code themselves. This may allow attackers to steal passwords, access sensitive data, or remotely control your system. Because the user initiates the action, this method can bypass traditional security tools.

Why This Scam Is So Effective
ClickFix campaigns often imitate trusted brands or services, including major technology providers, document viewers, website security checks, or even government‑style notifications. The messaging is designed to feel urgent and familiar, encouraging users to act quickly without verifying legitimacy.
The success of this approach lies in its simplicity: it exploits a natural desire to resolve technical issues quickly.

How to Protect Yourself and Your Organization
To reduce the risk of falling victim to ClickFix or similar scams, keep the following best practices in mind:

Never paste commands into Windows Run (Windows + R), PowerShell, Terminal, or Command Prompt at the request of a website.
- Legitimate websites will not ask users to execute system commands.
Verify before you click.
- Hover over links in emails or online ads. If the destination looks unusual or unexpected, do not proceed.
Resolve issues through trusted methods only.
- Restart the application, clear the browser cache, or contact us (Association Technologies) to assist. Do not follow instructions provided by pop‑ups or unknown sites.
Ask when unsure.
- If something seems suspicious, contact your Association Technologies support team for guidance before taking action.

A Final Reminder
Cybercriminals rely on haste and confusion. Taking a moment to pause and verify can prevent significant disruption and data loss. If you encounter something that doesn’t look right, trust your instincts and seek assistance. A cautious approach is often the best defense.

Partner Spotlight

Content is Your Cornerstone; But Only if Your Members Can Find It

Associations have long been trusted stewards of knowledge. From standards and research to education, best practices, and community insights, they create mission-critical resources members rely on to do their jobs and advance their missions.

That knowledge is a key differentiator—but only if members can find it.
Today, associations are sitting on a goldmine of content—yet much of it remains buried inside fragmented, siloed systems: websites, AMS and LMS platforms, communities, digital libraries, file repositories, just to name a few, that don’t talk to one another. At the same time, member expectations have fundamentally shifted. In an AI-powered world, members expect direct answers, relevant recommendations, and intuitive, personalized chat experiences. When they’re forced to hunt for information instead, the experience falls short—quietly eroding member engagement, trust, and perceived value of the association.

Content discovery is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s a strategic requirement.
Instead of forcing members to dig through multiple systems, FUSE Next uses advanced AI and chat technology to let members search once and find everything—no matter where content lives, what format it’s in, or which system created it. The goldmine of content becomes instantly discoverable through a single intelligent experience that understands intent and delivers answers, not just results.

Member Benefits

Stop hunting and stay on your site
Discover content they didn’t know existed
Elevate the content that matters most to them
Understand complex topics at a glance
Ask questions and get instant, accurate answers through AI-powered chat

Association & Staff Benefits

Strengthen your role as the trusted foundation for member knowledge
Maximize existing technology investments
Save time and eliminate manual busywork
Gain deeper insight into member needs and behavior
Protect your data and intellectual property
Future-proof content discovery in an AI-driven world

Your content is your cornerstone. But only if your members can find it.

FUSE Next is an AI-powered content discovery platform built for organizations with knowledge spread across multiple systems. By unifying resources into a single intelligent hub, FUSE Next helps associations remain the trusted source of member knowledge—ensuring mission-critical content is always accessible. Its advanced AI, including a private data chatbot, delivers personalized results, surfaces relevant insights, and transforms fragmented content into a connected, intuitive member experience.

Learn more at www.fusenext.com.

Delightful Employee Spotlight

Andrea Middleton

Please join us in welcoming Andrea Middleton to the AT Team. Andrea is a dedicated member of the application consulting team with a strong technical foundation and a passion for helping clients optimize their systems and processes. She brings years of experience in interoperability, data exchange, and system integration. She excels at translating complex technical concepts into practical solutions that drive results and support long-term success.

Andrea holds a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. While her roots are in Texas, Andrea has embraced life in Wisconsin and enjoys the culture, seasons, and, of course, the cheese. Outside of work, she loves reading fiction, playing cozy PC games, hiking, camping, and traveling to places new and old, especially craft breweries.

Usability Tips

Usability Surveys – Part 1

Why Usability Surveys Matter

by Ed Sirijintakarn

Usability surveys are one of the simplest yet most valuable ways to understand how users perceive a product. While analytics show what users do, surveys reveal what they think—their frustrations, expectations, and emotional responses. Because surveys scale easily and are inexpensive to run, they are often the quickest way to gather broad user sentiment. Still, designing them well requires careful planning.

This series introduces the essentials of creating effective usability surveys. In Part 1, we establish foundational concepts: what usability surveys are, when to use them, and the types of insights they uncover. Part 2 will explore how to craft clear, unbiased questions that produce reliable data. Part 3 will focus on distributing surveys strategically and turning results into meaningful product decisions.

What Is a Usability Survey?

A usability survey gathers self‑reported feedback about how easy or difficult users find a digital experience. It can focus on a specific task—such as completing a form—or on the product more broadly, such as evaluating navigation clarity or perceived usefulness.

Usability surveys are especially helpful for:

Understanding perceived difficulty, confidence, or satisfaction
Identifying pain points analytics may miss
Evaluating user reactions after launches or redesigns
Tracking improvements over time

When Should You Use Them?

Usability surveys are most effective:

Immediately after a task or workflow (to capture fresh impressions)
Periodically, to measure overall product perception
After major updates, to validate whether changes are helping or hurting

Because well‑designed surveys deliver fast, high‑quality feedback, they are a powerful complement to observational research. In the next installment, we’ll dive into how to write questions that produce trustworthy, actionable insights.

Industry News

How Associations Can Meet the Moment

Around the world, CEOs are skeptical about what the next year will bring. Associations have an opportunity to support them.

Read More

Meeting Planners Upbeat Entering 2026

Two new studies show that meeting professionals feel positive about the new year, but are keeping an eye on costs.

Read More

We have an archive of our newsletters and industry related
articles available on our website, click HERE to access them.

Upcoming Events

FEBRUARY

12:00PM-1:00PM CST

iUG Webinar: iMIS Shortcuts That Save Your Sanity

Location: Atlanta, Online

Learning the ins and outs of iMIS can feel like drinking from a firehose, but it doesn’t have to. In this session, we’ll uncover time-saving tips, lesser-known features, and smart shortcuts that can make your daily work faster and easier. Learn how to streamline your workflow now, so you’re not relearning the hard way later. Whether you're new to iMIS or just looking to sharpen your skills, these practical takeaways will pay off immediately.

FEBRUARY

1:00PM-2:00PM CST

Riding the Digital Wave: Why Associations Must Put Digital at the Center of Their Sponsor Strategy

Location: Online

Association communication strategies are at a critical turning point as member expectations and sponsor demands continue to shift. While print still offers credibility, long-form value, and sponsor trust, benchmarking data shows that digital channels now drive the speed, targeting, measurability, and year-round visibility sponsors expect. Associations that fail to elevate digital beyond a supporting role, and beyond event-centric programs, risk falling behind in engagement, revenue, and relevance.

MARCH

Assocation Forum Women's Executive Forum

Convene Willis Tower, Chicago, IL

At the 2026 Women’s Executive Forum, we’re redefining leadership as a living legacy—one shaped by intentional impact, courageous action, and collective momentum. Every decision we make and every step we take propels us forward, creating a more inclusive, equitable future for all.

As Association Forum celebrates 110 years of empowering association professionals, this year’s theme, Legacy In Motion, honors the women who paved the way, celebrates those leading today, and uplifts the next generation of change makers. Together, we rise—lifting each other up, forging new paths, and shaping what’s next.