To work as a unified team, nonprofit board members require tools to communicate. They often have to deal with sensitive data that could cause a lot of damage in the improper hands and must be kept private. Despite the widespread use of digital communications, such as texting, emails and messaging apps, they aren’t secure enough to be used for board business, making boards at risk of cyberattacks.
Nonprofit board directors are volunteers who bring their own experience, knowledge and skills to their positions. Many also have other jobs or careers. Having these various obligations and responsibilities, can make it difficult to maintain a constant communication with each other.
The good news is that the right technology can be of assistance. Integrating a chat, message and collaboration platform with a board management system or a document management system can improve the flow of information, avoiding duplication and loss of data. It also helps protect against cyberattacks, and protect privileged conversations and documents.
Volunteer board members are often prominent people who have access to highly sensitive information. Hackers target them via ransomware or phishing attacks where they threaten to release sensitive data without payment unless a specific amount is paid. Additionally, to these risks, a board can face regulatory repercussions and diminished confidence if sensitive data is accidentally shared via unsecure channels such as email or a personal device. To avoid these issues the ideal solution has to have strict cybercheckboxes and an audit trail that protects the integrity of data.