Effective communication between directors is essential for ensuring that directors make informed decisions and are engaged. Boards must face the challenge of balancing the need to communicate well and the need to safeguard sensitive information from cyber attacks.
Boards must utilize secure collaboration tools like boards portals and real-time communication platforms to ensure that discussions documents, meetings and other sensitive data private. This is becoming a priority as more businesses are impacted by hacks and breaches and regulators are introducing new security standards.
Security experts say that it’s not a matter of “if” an company will suffer a data breach however, it is more about “when.” A successful cybersecurity framework requires an effective board relationship with the chief information security officer (CISO). CISOs must make use of every opportunity to convey their vision and strategy to the board, while leveraging the board’s buy-in for a more effective response to cyberattacks.
Many board members and governance experts rely on their personal email accounts to send out internal communications, particularly during virtual meetings. This puts organizations at greater risk for phishing attacks and other cyberattacks targeting celebrities like directors, C-level executives and other senior management personnel.
It is crucial to train your board members on the importance of cybersecurity best practices. This should include a thorough review of the types of information they share through insecure channels, including minutes of meetings and even informal communications. It is also essential to make use of secure document sharing platforms that has encryption as well as access controls in order to ensure that documents are not downloaded or copied from outside organizations.