Many boards still communicate with their employees via unsecure channels for communication. A recent study by Diligent Corporation found that 56 percent of directors use their personal email for communications with the board, and even C-level executives and governance professionals do so as well. This is a major risk that must be addressed.
It is vital to convince board members of the importance of secure communications. This involves educating them about why their current methods leave them vulnerable to data breaches, and helping them understand the costs of those breaches in terms of loss of operational time, the cost of defending against cyberattacks, as well as concerns about compliance violations.
Cyber criminals are attracted to boards because they have access to sensitive information that is important to them. Hackers typically target high-profile individuals like board directors and C-level executives due to their access to sensitive information that is of importance to them. They are therefore i thought about this prime targets for ransomware, where criminals are threatening to release sensitive information in exchange for payment.
To prevent this from happening, the board should look into adopting a governance platform that replaces text and email messages with a secured record system that utilizes encrypted data transmission as well as a specially-designed mobile application. This will eliminate the need to share confidential or privileged information in unsecure email or document systems that are managed by the IT departments of the organization. It also provides a platform that is independent that will allow boards to continue to lead during times of crises.