Effective board communication is essential to ensure that directors are informed, engaged and able to make sound decisions about the company’s performance. Boards face the challenge of finding a balance between the need to effectively communicate and the need to protect sensitive information and prevent cyberattacks.
Boards need to use secure collaboration tools, such as boards portals and real-time communication platforms to ensure that discussions documents, meetings as well as other sensitive data confidential. This is becoming a top priority as more companies are affected by breaches and hacks and regulators have introduced new security standards.
Cybersecurity experts state that it is not a question of “if” an company will be affected by data breaches, but rather “when.” A successful cybersecurity framework requires an effective board relationship with the chief information security officer (CISO). CISOs must take advantage of every opportunity to communicate their vision and strategy to the board and gain the board’s endorsement for an effective response to cyberattacks.
Many board members and professionals rely on personal email for internal communications about governance especially during virtual meetings. This puts organizations at risk of being targeted by phishing attacks as well as other cyberattacks targeting prominent individuals such as directors, C-level executives and other senior management personnel.
It is crucial to educate your board members on the importance of cybersecurity. This should include a discussion of the kinds of data they share through unsecure channels, such as minutes of meetings and even informal communications. It is also essential to utilize a secure document sharing platform that has encryption as well access controls to avoid documents being copied or downloaded from third organizations.
