Many boards still communicate with their employees via unsecure channels for communication. Diligent Corporation released a report that found 56 percent of board members use personal email accounts for board communications. Even the top executives and governance professionals are also involved in this. This is a significant risk that needs to be addressed.
It is vital to convince board members of the importance of secure communication. This means educating them on the reasons their current practices leave vulnerable to data breaches and helping them understand the costs of those breaches in terms of lost operational time, the cost of defending against cyberattacks, and concerns about compliance violations.
Boards should be aware that they are the most attractive targets for cybercriminals. Hackers target high-profile executives such as executives and directors of boards since they have access to sensitive information that they consider valuable. They are therefore a prime target for ransomware, which is a type of malware that allows criminals to threaten to release sensitive data in exchange for payment.
In order to prevent this, it’s important that the board think about adopting the governance platform that replaces emails and text messaging with a secure system of record that makes use of encrypted data delivery and a custom-built mobile app. This eliminates the necessity to share confidential or valuable information via unsecure email or document systems controlled by the IT departments of the organization. It also provides a separate platform that will allow boards to continue to lead in times of crisis.
