Questions For The Board

Cybersecurity is more critical than ever in today’s business world.  With data breaches making headlines regularly, it’s clear that companies need to do more to protect themselves.  However, many CEOs and business leaders are still unsure of what they need to do to safeguard their organizations.

 

One of the best places to start is by asking your board of directors the following seven questions about cybersecurity.  By doing so, you can better understand the risks your company faces and what you can do to mitigate them.

 

1. What types of data does our company collect?
2. How is that data stored?
3. Who has access to that data?
4. What safeguards are in place to protect our data?
5. What would happen if our data were breached?
6. How would we recover from a breach?
7. What are our competitors doing to improve their cybersecurity?

 

Let’s take a closer look at each question.

 

1. What types of data does our company collect?

This is an important question to ask because it will help you determine what type of data you need to protect.  Depending on your business, you may collect personal information, financial information, or other types of sensitive data.  It’s important to know what type of data you have to take the necessary steps to protect it.

 

2. How is that data stored?

Once you know what type of data you have, you need to find out how it’s being stored.  Data can be stored electronically or physically, and it’s essential to know where your company’s data is located.  If it’s stored electronically, you need to find out if it’s encrypted and if any backup systems are in place.  You need to find out if it’s securely locked away if it’s physically stored.

 

3. Who has access to that data?

Another important question to ask is who has access to your company’s data.  You need to know who has the ability to view, edit, or delete your data so that you can make sure only authorized personnel have access.

 

4. What safeguards are in place to protect our data?

Once you know where your data is and who has access to it, you need to find out what safeguards are in place to protect it from unauthorized access or theft.  Various security measures can be taken, such as installing firewalls, using encryption, or requiring two-factor authentication for login purposes.

 

5. What would happen if our data were breached?

No matter how well-protected your data is, there’s always a chance that hackers or other malicious actors could breach it.  That’s why it’s crucial to have a plan in place for what would happen if your data were compromised.  You need to know how you would deal with the fallout from a breach and how you would prevent future breaches from happening.

 

6. How would we recover from a breach?

In the event of a breach, one of your priorities should be restoring any lost or stolen data.  But it would be best if you also considered how you would rebuild customer trust and mitigate any damage to your reputation.

 

7. What are our competitors doing to improve their cybersecurity?

Finally, it’s worth asking your board what your competitors are doing to strengthen their cybersecurity.  Knowing what others in the same industry are doing can help you benchmark and identify areas where you need to improve.

 

Cybersecurity is a vital concern for all businesses, big and small.  With high-profile data breaches and the constant changes as the world goes digital, plus the post-pandemic repercussions worldwide, making sure that your company’s data is well-protected is something you don’t want to ignore.

 

By asking your board of directors the seven questions above, you can begin to understand the risks your company faces and what you can do to mitigate them.

 

If you want to schedule a free consultation with one of our cybersecurity experts, you can do so here: https://calendly.com/ncxgroup

 

 

Photo courtesy of corgarashu