Many boards still communicate sensitive internal messages via unsecure communication channels. Diligent Corporation released a report that found that 56 percent board members use their personal email addresses for communications with the board. Even the top executives and governance professionals also do this. This is a risk that must be addressed.
It’s crucial to convince board members of the importance of securing communications. This means educating them on the reasons their current practices leave them vulnerable to data breaches and helping them understand the costs of such breaches in terms of lost operational time, cost of defending against cyberattacks, as well as concerns about compliance violations.
Cybercriminals are attracted to boards because they have access to sensitive information that is important to them. Hackers target high-profile people like board directors and executives because they can boardroomsolutions.org access sensitive information of value to them. This makes them a good attack target for ransomware, where the criminals threaten to release sensitive information unless they receive payment.
To prevent this from happening, it’s crucial that the board think about adopting an administration platform that replaces emails and text messaging with a more secure system of record that uses encrypted data delivery and a purpose-built mobile app. This will eliminate the need to share confidential or insider information through unsecure documents systems or email accounts which are managed by the IT teams of the organization and provides an independent platform that allows boards to continue to lead during times of crises.
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