How to Create Cybersecurity Reports That Reach the Board of Directors

Cybersecurity is a continuous ever-changing, dynamic endeavor that requires effective communication between all the stakeholders in the organization. Security executives must be able communicate clearly about their progress, without getting bogged down in technical details. Many cybersecurity reports are too complex technical, technical, and difficult to understand by the average reader. This prevents security teams from communicating clearly about risks and security programs, which are crucial for preventing security breaches and keeping your business secure.

When creating a cyber security report, it’s important to keep in mind that your principal audience isn’t just the IT department, but the board of directors. Cybersecurity reporting should focus on risk to business instead of technology, to get the board’s attention and help them understand their company’s exposure to risk.

If, for instance the report states that outdated software is the main cause of the vulnerabilities that exist within the company It is important to draw attention to the negative impact on the bottom line. It is also crucial to ensure that the reporting of security risks is easily understood by people who are not technical in particular since regulatory compliance and framework alignement are becoming increasingly important concerns for boards of many.

Fortunately, UpGuard offers a library of templates for reports designed to meet the main reporting requirements of the board and senior management. These templates consolidate security performance insights that are commonly requested by the board, such as vendor summary reports that outline the most important metrics, such as vulnerability management performance, third-party attack susceptibility, and critical risk distribution, all of which are vital to creating an effective risk assessment and mitigation system. These reports are easily created and exported as slides which eases the burden of the preparation due diligence process of board meetings and making it easier to communicate to the entire board.