Effective board communication is crucial for ensuring that directors make informed decisions and are engaged. Boards face the problem of balancing the need to communicate effectively while safeguarding sensitive information and preventing cyberattacks.
Boards must use secure collaboration tools such as boards portals and messaging platforms that are real-time, to ensure that discussions sensitive documents, discussions and other data private. This is becoming a top priority as more companies are affected by hacks and breaches and regulators are introducing new security standards.
Security experts have stated that it is not a matter of “if” an organization will experience an incident involving data, but rather “when.” A successful cybersecurity strategy includes a strong relationship between the board and the chief information security officer (CISO). CISOs should seize every opportunity to share their vision and strategy with the board. This will help them gain board support for a more effective response to cyberattacks.
Many board members and other governance professionals rely on personal emails to communicate with their internal governance team especially during virtual meetings. This puts organizations in more danger of phishing attacks as well as other cyberattacks that target high-profile individuals, such as directors and C-level executives.
It is important to train your board members on the importance of cybersecurity. This should include a review of the information they share on unsecure channels like meeting minutes his explanation or informal communication. It is also essential to utilize secure document sharing platforms that has encryption as well access controls to prevent documents being copied or downloaded by third parties.