Crown agencies have long played an important role in the Canadian economy by providing a vital bridge between the public and private sectors. While these agencies have a wide range of different mandates, and provide services ranging from broadcasting and support for the arts to training service and air transport security, they all share a higher responsibility to serve the Canadian people in a way that is different from other private sector corporations.
Because Crown agencies frequently deal with sensitive information (and, depending on their brief, may be responsible for matters relating to national security), it is imperative for Crown corporations to operate in as secure a manner as possible.
Breaches and Hacks Challenges
With so many high profile data breaches and security hacks in the past two years, organizations of all sizes are starting to realize the extent to which the rise in cyber crime has reached crisis proportions. In the contemporary political and economic climate, any corporation or not-for-profit that deals with clients’ personal or financial information needs to take seriously their responsibility to protect confidential data.
Given the heightened scrutiny that attends the work of Crown agencies, it is perhaps not surprising that they have been some of the earliest adopters of new communications protocols designed to reduce the risk of cyber crime.
Enforcing Cybersecurity
For many Crown agencies, the key to data security lies in using cutting edge software tools to guarantee that private information stays private, especially at the highest levels of decision-making. Board portal software has been one of the most important tools for Crown agencies that want to guarantee secure communications, because it ensures that communication and data sharing between board members happens through a secure, encrypted channel.
For that reason, it is reshaping how agency boards communicate.
Boards are particularly vulnerable to cyber attacks because they often deal with extremely sensitive information, and yet may not fully understanding how easily common communication tools like email and SMS can be hacked. Using portal software, board members have access to board documents through their desktop and mobile device, and can hold remote discussions about upcoming business without needing to worry about hacking, malware, or spyware.
The Available Tools
The good news for Crown agencies that want to improve their data security is that there is a lot of board management information available, and Canada boasts some of the most innovative portal software providers on the market. For example, Vancouver’s Aprio has built a strong reputation providing board portal services to Crown agencies across the country, and as a Canadian company understands the unique challenges Crown agencies face.
Conclusion
In fulfilling their obligations to the Canadian public, Crown agencies are held to a higher standard than other organizations. Where private corporations risk losing customers and market share if they face a data breach, if Crown agencies lose the public trust, their very existence is at stake.
The higher scrutiny that Crown agencies face has been one of the main factors driving the cautious and yet more innovative approach toward internal communications that is leading agencies to adopt board management software.