Many boards continue to send confidential internal communications through unsecure communication channels. Diligent Corporation released a report which found that 56 percent board members use personal email addresses for communications with the board. Even the top executives and governance professionals are also guilty of this. This is a huge danger that must be addressed.
It is essential to get board members on board with the need for secure communications. This includes educating them on the reasons their current practices make them vulnerable to data breaches, and helping them comprehend how much it costs in terms of lost time, cyberattacks and compliance violations.
Cybercriminals are attracted by boards because they have access to sensitive information that is important to them. Cybercriminals often target high-profile people such as board directors and C-level executives due to their access to sensitive information that has value to them. This makes them a great attack target for ransomware, where criminals threaten to release sensitive information unless they get a payment.
To prevent this, the board should think about the adoption of a platform for governance that replaces text and email messages with a secure record system that uses encrypted data transmission as well as a specially-designed mobile application. This eliminates the need to share sensitive or confidential information in unsecure document systems or email accounts that are managed by IT departments of the company and provides a platform independent of IT that allows boards to continue to lead during times of crises.