Many boards continue to communicate with their employees via unsecure channels for communication. A recent report from Diligent Corporation found that 56 percent of directors use their personal email addresses for communication with the board. And even governance professionals and C-level executives do the boardroomsolutions.org/how-to-remove-malware-from-android same. This is a serious risk that needs to be addressed.
It is essential to convince board members of the importance of secure communications. This means educating them on the reasons why their current practices make them vulnerable to data breaches, and assisting them to understand the costs of such breaches in terms of lost operational time, the expense of defending against cyberattacks, and concerns over compliance violations.
Boards must be aware that they are particularly attractive targets for cybercriminals. The hackers often target prominent individuals like board directors and C-level executives because they have access to sensitive information that has importance to them. This makes them a prime target for ransomware attacks where criminals threaten to release sensitive information unless they get a payment.
To prevent this from happening, it’s crucial that the board considers adopting a governance platform that replaces email and text messaging with a fortified system of record, which uses encrypted data delivery and a purpose-built mobile application. This will make it less necessary to share privileged or insider information through unsecure documents systems or email accounts that are managed by the IT teams of the organization and provides an independent platform that allows boards to remain in charge during times of crisis.