Effective communication between directors is essential to ensure that directors take informed decisions and are fully engaged. Boards have the task of finding a balance between the need to communicate well and the need to safeguard sensitive information and avoid cyberattacks.
Boards should utilize secure collaboration tools such as board portals and messaging platforms that are real-time to keep discussions sensitive documents, discussions and other data secure. This is becoming a priority as more companies are impacted by breaches and hacks, and regulators adopt new security standards.
Security experts say that it’s not a question of “if” an company will suffer data breaches and not “when.” A effective cybersecurity framework must have a strong 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 approval for a more effective response to cyberattacks.
Many board members and professionals rely on personal emails to communicate with their internal governance team especially during virtual meetings. This practice puts organizations at greater risk of being targeted by phishing attacks as well as other cyberattacks targeting high-profile individuals like directors, C-level executives, and removing malware android other high-ranking management personnel.
It is essential to train 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 meeting minutes, as well as informal communication. It is also important to use a secure document sharing platform that provides encryption and access controls to keep documents from being copied or downloaded by third individuals, such as those found in a cyberattack.