Cybersecurity is a continuous, dynamic undertaking that requires effective communication among all the stakeholders in the organization. Security executives must be able provide clear information about their progress, without getting bogged down in technical details. Many cybersecurity reports are too technical as well as detailed and not understandable for the average person and prevent security teams from engaging in the clear communication regarding risks and security plans that are essential to avoiding security breaches and keeping the company safe.
When creating a cyber security report, it is important to keep in mind that your primary audience is not the IT department, but the board of directors. Cybersecurity reports should focus on business risk, rather than technology, in order to appeal to the board and assist them in understanding the risk that their company is exposed to.
If, for instance, the report states that outdated software is the main cause of the attacks that occur within the company it should be able to draw attention to the negative impact on the organization’s bottom line. It is also crucial to ensure that the report of security risks can be easily understood by non-technical audiences particularly as regulatory compliance and framework alignement are becoming increasingly significant issues for many boards.
Fortunately, UpGuard offers a library of templates for reports that are optimized to meet the primary reporting requirements of the board and the senior management. These templates combine security performance data that are frequently requested by the board, such as vendor summary reports that highlight important metrics such as vulnerability management performance as well as the susceptibility of third-party attackers to attack and critical due diligence process risk distribution and are crucial in establishing a strong risk assessment and mitigation plan. These reports can be immediately produced and exported as slides, removing the burden of the preparation of board meetings and making it much easier to present the report to the entire board.