Many boards still communicate with their employees via insecure communication channels. A recent study by Diligent Corporation found that 56 percent of directors use their personal email for board communications, and that even governance professionals and C-level executives also use email for board communications. This is a significant risk that needs to be addressed.
It’s crucial to convince board members of the importance of secure communications. This includes educating them on the reasons why their current practices expose them to data breaches and helping them understand what it will cost in terms of lost time, cyberattacks and compliance violations.
Boards should be aware that they are attractive targets for cyber criminals. Hackers typically target high-profile individuals such as board directors boardroomsolutions.org/best-driver-update-software/ and C-level executives due to their access to sensitive information that has value to them. This makes them a great target for ransomware attacks, where the criminals threaten to release confidential information unless they receive payment.
To prevent this, the board could consider the adoption of a platform for governance that replaces text and email messages with a securing record system that utilizes encrypted data transmission and a custom-built mobile application. This will make it less necessary to share confidential or insider information with unsecure documents systems or email accounts which are controlled by the IT teams of the organization and provides a platform independent of IT that allows boards to lead in times of crisis.