Many boards still send sensitive internal governance communications via insecure communication channels. 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 huge risk that must be addressed.
It is crucial to convince board members of the importance of secure communication. This means educating them on the reasons their current practices make them vulnerable to data breaches, and helping them understand the amount it can cost in terms of lost time, cyberattacks and compliance violations.
Boards should be aware that they are particularly attractive targets for cyber criminals. The hackers target high-profile individuals like executives and directors of boards since they have access to sensitive information that is valuable to them. This makes them a prime victim of ransomware attacks, where criminals threaten to release sensitive information unless they receive payment.
To prevent this, the board should look into adopting a platform for governance that replaces email and text messages with a secure record system that utilizes encrypted data transmission and a specially-built mobile application. This eliminates the necessity to share confidential or private information through unsecure email or document systems that are managed by the IT departments of the organization. It also offers an independent platform which will allow boards to continue to lead during times of crises.
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