In the course of performing their fiduciary duties board members are exposed to sensitive information which must remain private. Board members must be able discuss sensitive information without fear they will share it.
To minimize the risk of leaks, boards could take a variety of security measures such as restricting access to sharing, stopping sharing, encrypting documents and backup them. They can also use a secure online board management software that provides granular control of documents to prevent unauthorized printing or downloading, screen shots, and a complete audit trail of all user activity down to page-level detail.
A carefully drafted board confidentiality policy can also help click here to find out more to ensure confidentiality of the board as it clearly informs directors of their responsibilities and creates a culture that considers leaks as dishonourable and unethical behaviour. The chairman or the lead director could distribute the policy to potential directors before they are nominated, and to current directors prior to when their term starts to give them the opportunity to ask questions and sign the agreement if they wish to do so.
A secure board portal is the most effective way to protect sensitive data. It allows users to only access documents on devices that they own and exclusively use for this purpose. Govenda’s secure portal for boards offers enterprise-grade security, detailed document control and tamper-proofed watermarks. It also blocks printing on files, deactivates the permission to download and records usage.