Effective board communication is crucial to ensure directors make informed decisions and are actively involved. But boards have to face the problem of balancing the need to effectively communicate while protecting sensitive information from cyberattacks.
Boards must use secure collaboration tools such as board portals and messaging platforms in real-time in order to keep discussions as well as sensitive documents and data private. This is becoming increasingly important as more companies are affected by breaches and hacks and regulators adopt new security standards.
Security experts have stated that it’s not a question of “if” an organization will experience an incident involving data, but rather “when.” A effective cybersecurity framework must have a strong relationship between the board and the chief information security officer (CISO). CISOs should seize every opportunity to communicate their strategy and vision with the board. This will enable them get board support to provide an effective response to cyberattacks.
Many board members and experts rely on their personal email accounts to send out internal messages, especially during virtual meetings. This practice puts organizations at greater risk of phishing attacks and other cyberattacks targeting high-profile individuals, like directors and C-level executives.
It is vital to provide training to your board members on the importance of using cybersecurity best practices. This should include a discussion of the kinds of data they share through insecure channels, such as minutes of meetings and even informal communications. It is also essential to make use of a secure document sharing platform that offers encryption as well access controls to avoid documents being copied or downloaded by third individuals.