BeyondTrust
  • Products
    Privileged Password Management
    Discover, manage, audit, and monitor privileged accounts
    Password Safe DevOps Secrets Safe
    Endpoint Privilege Management
    Manage privileges on Windows, Mac, Linux, and Unix endpoints
    Windows and Mac Unix and Linux Active Directory Bridge
    Secure Remote Access
    Centrally manage and secure remote access for service desks and vendors
    Remote Support Privileged Remote Access
    Use Cases and Industries
    See All Products
  • Resources

    Universal Privilege Management

    Our innovative Universal Privilege Management approach secures every user, asset, and session across your entire enterprise.

    Watch Video

    Learn

    Case Studies
    Competitor Comparisons
    Datasheets
    Glossary
    Product Demos
    Whitepapers

    Attend

    Events
    Go Beyond
    Training
    Webinars

    Support

    Changelog
    Professional Services
    Technical Documentation
  • Blog
  • Partners
  • Contact
  • Support
  • Services
  • Training
  • Events
  • Company

Does a younger board make for a more secure organization?

October 20, 2017

  • Blog
  • Archive

A recent survey conducted by the Financial Times (FT) revealed that just four FTSE 100 companies had board members under the age of 40. Though perhaps this is unsurprising when we think about a traditional corporate hierarchy, the implications of an older board that does not have the digital threat landscape at the top of their agenda could result in a security headache.

In the vast majority of corporate boards, particularly where a CIO isn’t present, members often lack the technical know-how, or in many cases the interest, to head off the increasing threats posed by cyber crime. Boards should engage more with their CIOs and security teams to understand the risk and the directives they must comply to. In the write up of its research, the FT interviewed Simon Walker, chief executive of the Institute of Directors, who said: "Boards should look at appointing more young directors who can contribute in-depth understanding of the risks and preventative strategies."

This call comes as companies and policymakers have gradually begun to wake up to the risks posed by the huge amount of data and online communication. The EU recently unveiled proposed legislation designed to protect companies against cyber threats, under the Networks and Information Security Directive. This would see financial, energy and healthcare companies forced to disclose significant cyber attacks. The five main elements of the proposed NIS Directive are listed below:

New national strategy – member states must have a national strategy. The UK has been active in developing a cyber security strategy, which has seen the introduction of the ‘Ten steps to cyber security’ guide.

  • Co-operation network – member states must co-ordinate against risks. The network will exchange information between authorities, provide early warnings on information security issues and agree on a coordinated response.
  • Security requirements – public bodies must take appropriate measure to reduce risks. A key element of the directive is that member states must ensure public bodies and certain market operators take appropriate technical and organizational measures to manage the security risks
  • Use of standards – standards will be drafted by the commission
  • Enforcement – member states have the powers to investigate and enforce adoption. For the first time in the EU, there will be an information security regulatory framework with national authorities and European-wide information security standards.

Boards need to understand the threats their businesses face, as well as understand the legislation and bring in the right set of skills to manage this risk. Companies also need to share intelligence of cyber attacks, as a breach at one company is an attack on us all. We should look to learn from each other and share best practices in the battle against cyber crime. Industry events such as BlackHat are the ideal forum to network and share these discussions but I am always interested in hearing and sharing personal experiences.

Andrew Avanessian,

Stay Up To Date

Get the latest news, ideas, and tactics from BeyondTrust. You may unsubscribe at any time.

I agree to receive product related communications from BeyondTrust as detailed in the Privacy Policy, and I may manage my preferences or withdraw my consent at any time.

You May Also Be Interested In:

Whitepapers

Mapping BeyondTrust Solutions to the Identity, Credential, and Access Management (ICAM) Architecture

Whitepapers

Four Key Ways Governments Can Prepare for the Growing Ransomware Threat

Whitepapers

The Operational Technology (OT) Remote Access Challenge

BeyondTrust Logo
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn

Keep up with BeyondTrust

I agree to receive product related communications from BeyondTrust as detailed in the Privacy Policy, and I may manage my preferences or withdraw my consent at any time.

Customer Support
Contact Sales

Products

  • Endpoint Privilege Management
  • Password Management
  • Privileged Remote Access
  • DevOps Secrets Safe
  • Remote Support

Resources

  • Blog
  • Case Studies
  • Competitor Comparisons
  • Datasheets
  • Glossary
  • Videos
  • Webcasts
  • Whitepapers

About

  • Company
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Events
  • Leadership Team
  • Partner Program
  • Press

Languages

  • English
  • German
  • French
  • Spanish
  • Korean
  • Portuguese
  • Japanese
  • Privacy
  • Security
  • Manage Cookies
  • WEEE Compliance

Copyright © 1999 — 2020 BeyondTrust Corporation. All rights reserved. Other trademarks identified on this page are owned by their respective owners. BeyondTrust Corporation is not a chartered bank or trust company, or depository institution. It is not authorized to accept deposits or trust accounts and is not licensed or regulated by any state or federal banking authority.