How to Create Cybersecurity Reports That Reach the Board of Directors

Cybersecurity is a complex task that requires efficient communication between all parties across the organization. When it comes to protecting data, mitigating risk, or communicating with the board and C-Suite regarding the current threats and risks, security leaders must be able to provide clear information on their progress, without getting bogged down in technical details. However, many cybersecurity reports are too complex complicated, detailed, and unintelligible to the average reader which prevents security teams from engaging in the clear communication about risk and security measures that are essential to avoiding security breaches and keeping the company secure.

While creating a cyber security report, it’s crucial to remember that the principal audience isn’t just the IT team, but the board of directors. In order to make the report more appealing to the board, it should concentrate on business-related risks rather than technology.

If, for instance, the report states that outdated software is the main cause of the security vulnerabilities in the business it should be able to draw attention to the negative effect on the bottom line. It’s also crucial to ensure that the information reported on security risks is easily understood by non-technical users particularly as regulatory compliance and framework alignment are becoming a major issue for boards of many.

Fortunately, UpGuard offers a library of templates for reports which are optimized to meet the primary reporting expectations of the board and the senior management. These templates combine security performance insight commonly requested by the board, including vendor summary reports that focus on key metrics like vulnerability management performance as well as third-party vulnerability susceptibility to attack and critical risk distribution, all of which are vital to creating an effective risk assessment and mitigation plan. These reports can be quickly generated and exported as slides, removing the burden of planning for board meetings and making it much easier to present the report to the entire board.

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