How CISOs Can Secure Board Communication
In a climate where cybercrime is increasing, many mission-driven boards face huge challenges in achieving their objectives. Effective communication and strong relationships between board members are therefore crucial to the long-term success of an organisation.
The increasing focus on cybersecurity and the growing regulatory requirements place the burden on board secretaries, general counsels, and chief information security officers (CISOs) to improve communication with board members. Despite their best efforts, many governance experts struggle to keep board communication safe and organized. As such, it is not common for confidential internal communication regarding governance to be sent through unsecure channels for communicationlike personal email — putting organizations at risk of data breaches and penalties imposed by regulators.
It is important that CISOs take steps to implement board-management solutions that allow for private and group communication, as well as collaboration. This includes implementing board portal software that is easy-to-use and mobile-friendly. Additionally, it is necessary to use video tools for conferencing that can facilitate secure and reliable virtual meetings. Instant messaging platforms and collaboration tools for documents are essential to facilitate effective and productive interactions between board members.
CISOs must also provide their reports in a business-like manner to the board of directors to highlight the importance of cybersecurity to the bottom line. Instead of stating that there is the possibility of a cyber-breach and then stating that it could cost an organization X dollars. This helps to put the issue in context and helps to have a more productive conversation around how to proceed.