Personal Email vs. Board Portals for Board Communications FAQ

Most public company boards, along with a majority of nonprofits and almost half of private companies, have now adopted board portals. However, many boards still send board materials and communications through personal email accounts, where messages are most often not encrypted and highly susceptible to hackers. This Director FAQ discusses the risks of sending board communications through personal email accounts, the benefits of board portals, and some potential risks for boards to consider when choosing whether or not to adopt board portals.

Q: How can my board effectively protect internal board communications?

A: This memo addresses the board’s use of personal email accounts and presents board portals as an alternative for board communication in the following sections:

1. Prevalence of the use of personal email for board communications
2. Risks of using personal email for board communications
3. Benefits of board portals
4. Key considerations when adopting board portals