Many boards still send confidential internal communications through unsecure channels for communication. Diligent Corporation released a report that found that 56 percent board members use their personal email accounts for board communications. Even the top executives and governance professionals are also guilty of this. This is a serious danger that must be addressed.

It’s crucial to convince board members of the importance of secure communication. This requires educating them about why their current methods 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 defending against an attack from cyberspace, and the concern about compliance violations.

Cyber criminals are attracted to boards because they have access to sensitive information that is important to them. Hackers target high-profile boardroomsolutions.org/how-to-get-entry-level-data-analyst-job people like executives and directors of boards since they have access to sensitive information that is valuable to them. They are therefore prime targets for ransomware, in which criminals are threatening to release sensitive information unless they receive a payment.

To avoid this, the board should think about adopting a governance platform that replaces text and email messages with a fortified record system that uses encrypted data transmission as well as a specially-designed mobile application. This eliminates the need to share confidential or insider information through unsecure documents or email accounts which are controlled by the IT departments of the organization. It also creates an independent platform that allows boards to lead in times of crises.