Effective communication with the board is vital to ensure that directors are well informed, engaged and able to make informed decisions about the company’s performance. Boards have the task of finding a balance between the need to communicate well and the need to protect sensitive information from cyberattacks.
Boards should use secure collaboration tools like board portals and real-time messaging platforms to ensure that discussions, documents as well as other sensitive data confidential. This is a growing concern my site as more companies fall prey to breaches and hacks, and regulators establish new security standards.
Security experts say that it’s not a question of “if” an company will suffer an incident involving data however, it is more about “when.” A successful cybersecurity framework includes a strong relationship between the board and the chief information security officer (CISO). CISOs should take advantage of every opportunity to communicate their vision and strategy to the board, and leveraging the board’s approval for a more effective response to cyberattacks.
Many board members and experts in governance depend on their personal email accounts to send out internal communications, especially during virtual meetings. This puts organizations at greater risk of phishing attacks and other cyberattacks targeting prominent individuals, such as directors and C-level executives.
It is critical to train your board members on the importance of cybersecurity best practices. This should include an examination of the information they share via insecure channels like meeting minutes or informal communication. It is also important to utilize secure document sharing platforms that offers encryption as well access controls to prevent documents being copied or downloaded by third organizations.
