Many boards continue to communicate sensitive internal governance messages via unsecure channels for communication. Diligent Corporation released a report that found 56 percent of board members use their personal emails to communicate with the board. Even governance professionals and senior executives are also guilty of this. This is a significant danger that must be addressed.
It is essential to convince board members of the importance of securing communications. This means educating them about how their current practices expose them to data breaches and assisting them understand the amount it costs in terms of lost time, cyberattacks and compliance violations.
Boards should be aware that they are a prime targets for cyber criminals. Hackers typically target high-profile individuals like board directors and top executives due to their access to sensitive information that has value to them. This makes them an ideal target for ransomware attacks which are when criminals threaten to release confidential information unless they are paid a payment.
To avoid this from happening, it’s crucial that the board considers adopting the governance platform that replaces emails and text messaging with a more secure system of record that uses encrypted data delivery and a specially-designed mobile app. This eliminates the need to share confidential or valuable information via unsecure email or document systems that are managed by the organization’s IT teams. It also provides a platform that is independent that will allow boards to remain in charge during times of crisis.