Regular board meetings are an important part of building and maintaining a successful business. The company’s board of directors plays an important role in determining the corporate agenda. Set priorities, set goals, and review investment strategies in close collaboration with management teams. Therefore, organizational security must be guaranteed to all involved, regardless of whether they work in the office or at home.
Board Meetings in the Office and at Home
Due to the pandemic, councils have had to balance the unconsciousness of the transition to virtual. The move to virtual council meetings has enabled councils to improve their governance and collaboration by having shorter agendas, bolder conversations, and greater familiarity with leaders and experts. All of this comes with the pressure to protect your organizations from intrusion and disasters, which also affects your company’s image. And even though offices are reopening, many employees are still staying at home due to office or quarantine staff restrictions.
Hold Safe Board Meetings
The pandemic shock has brought important strategic decisions to the table, sometimes without the luxury of face-to-face meetings. Security and reliability are key when it comes to board meetings. You will benefit in the long term from the right consulting management software.
According to CBS, 28 hacking incidents per 100,000 civilians were recorded in the Netherlands in 2019. And while hacking incidents cause financial problems, they also damage your company’s image, which is difficult to restore. With secure software, your employees can rely on secure meetings and document exchange.
Few Steps to Secure Your Virtual Meetings
Here are some steps you can take to help protect yourself and your work environment and secure your team’s meetings across platforms.
Do Not Publish Meetings
For many virtual meeting platforms, the default option is publicly available, which means that attackers can access it from outside the organization. The FBI encourages people who use video conferencing technology to keep their meetings private by providing direct links to guests and not sharing those links on social media platforms.There are a lot of virtual meeting platforms, where users can make their meetings private by requiring them to enter a meeting password or manually receive guests during the connection.
Make Sure You Have the Latest Software
Outdated video conferencing software can be particularly vulnerable to hacking. Use similar wording in the meeting invitation and encourage staff to ensure all virtual meeting platforms are fully updated, using all available patches and the latest pre-meeting builds.
Connect to a secure, password-protected Wi-Fi network
Over 90% of all data breaches start with unauthorized access to corporate data. CISA warns users that the default home Wi-Fi settings are unprotected, which means attackers could gain access to sensitive company data if these default settings are not changed. CISA recommends users change the router’s default passwords, choose a common home Wi-Fi network name for easier identification, and ensure the home router is configured to use WPA2 wireless encryption or WPA3.
Establish a Strong Company Policy
As a first line of defense in protecting the privacy of their data, organizations must maintain appropriate security controls to protect their network infrastructure and endpoints from cybercriminals. It is recommended that policies be implemented that require appropriate staff training, as well as policies on password security and protection, two-factor authentication, and regular patches. Organizations should also include instructions and resources to report violations.
Manage and accurately monitor file and screen sharing
Determine beforehand how and what information will be shared during the meeting. CISA recommends disabling or limiting screen and file sharing during virtual meetings and encourages users to share individual programs rather than entire screens. Individuals can also consider the sensitivity of screens with private information being transmitted or uploaded during a virtual meeting, knowing that information disseminated through insecure channels can be compromised.
As companies adapt their workforce and transition to working remotely during the COVID-19 crisis, they must continue to take the lead when it comes to tackling new distractions. Remote work will still be prevalent even after the pandemic is over, so steps must be taken to ensure the safety of virtual face-to-face interactions and collaborations and work towards the ultimate goal of a safe virtual workplace.