In the course of performing their fiduciary obligations, board members are privy to sensitive information that must remain private. Board members should be able discuss sensitive information without fear it will leak.
To mitigate the risk of leaks, boards are able to implement a variety of strong security measures like restricting access, stopping sharing, encrypting documents and backup them. They can also use an online secure board management software program that offers granular document controls to ensure that no printing is done or downloading of screen shots as well as a detailed audit trail of user activity down to page-level detail.
A well-written confidentiality policy for the board can help protect board confidentiality, as it will inform directors of their responsibilities and establish the environment in which leaking information is considered unprofessional or dishonest. The chairman or lead directors can give the policy to directors who are new before they are appointed, and to current directors prior to the start of their term so that they can inquire about the policy and sign it if they would like.
For the most sensitive data such as a secure board portal that allows users to access documents only on their own devices and exclusively for this purpose is the most effective method of protecting confidential data. Govenda’s secure portal for boards offers enterprise-grade security and precise document control features like watermarks that resist tampering, blocking printing to files as well as revocation of downloading permissions and logging of usage so that you can determine who has viewed and printed each individual document.