Many boards continue to send sensitive internal governance communications via insecure communication channels. Diligent Corporation released a report which found that 56 percent board members use their personal email accounts for board communications. Even senior executives and governance professionals also do this. This is a major risk that must be addressed.

It is vital to ensure that board members are onboard with the need for secure communication. This requires educating them about how their current methods make vulnerable to data breaches, and making them aware of the cost of those breaches in terms of loss of operational time, the cost of defending against a cyberattack, and concern over compliance violations.

Cybercriminals 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 because they have access to sensitive information that has value to dig this them. They are therefore prime targets for ransomware attacks, where criminals threaten to release sensitive data unless they get paid.

To prevent this from happening, it’s crucial that the board consider adopting a governance platform that replaces text and emails messaging with a secure system of record, which uses encrypted data delivery as well as a specifically designed mobile application. This eliminates the need to share confidential or privileged information in unsecure email systems or document management systems managed by IT departments of the organization. It also provides a separate platform that allows boards to continue to lead in times of crisis.