Many boards continue to communicate sensitive internal messages via unsecure communication channels. Diligent Corporation released a report that found that 56 percent board members use personal emails for board communications. Even senior executives and governance professionals are also doing this. This is a serious risk that needs to be addressed.
It is vital to convince board members of the importance of secure communications. This requires them to be educated about the reasons their current practices leave vulnerable to data breaches, and making them aware of the cost of these breaches in terms of loss of operational time, the cost of dealing with cyberattacks, and concerns about compliance violations.
Cybercriminals are attracted to boards because they have access to sensitive information that is valuable to them. The hackers target high-profile individuals like board directors and executives due to the fact that they can access sensitive information of value to them. This makes them a good target for ransomware attacks, in which criminals threaten to release sensitive information unless they receive 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 utilizes encrypted data transmission, as well as a specifically-designed mobile application. This eliminates the necessity to share confidential or private information in unsecure email or document systems controlled by the IT departments of the organization. It also provides an independent platform which will allow boards to continue leading during times of crisis.