Despite the claims, not all board portal software offers the same data protection. When comparing board management systems, it’s worth evaluating data security very closely.
To help IT teams compare and evaluate secure board portals, learn why board portal protection is critical for today’s IT teams and see an audit of Aprio’s board management software security.
Or skip ahead to these sections:
- The importance of board portal protection
- Ensuring confidentiality: board portal measures
- Audit of Aprio’s board portal security
The importance of board portal protection
The pressure on IT teams to safeguard data has never been greater. Recent news headlines of data breaches highlight the persistent challenges of cybersecurity. Exposed data ruins trust with customers and exposes companies to millions of dollars in losses and lawsuits. Even tech giants like Facebook, Microsoft and Equifax aren’t immune to cybersecurity threats.
Boards of directors have access to some of the most confidential and sensitive data a company owns. Yet the security for board materials often doesn’t receive the same scrutiny as other corporate systems. The same risk-averse, top-security, buttoned-up approach taken to implement an enterprise resource system should be applied to safeguarding board data and ensure boards operate with good governance.
Ensuring confidentiality: board portal protection measures
Confidentiality is paramount when it comes to board portal security. The right board portal solution can provide a secure environment for your board where it protects sensitive and confidential information from potential threats.
To ensure the utmost confidentiality and data integrity, look for these protection measures within your board portal:
Access control
The first line of defense for any board meeting software is access control. Implement role-based access permissions that restrict users to only the information necessary for their roles. This ensures that sensitive documents are only accessible to authorized individuals, reducing the risk of data leaks.
Encryption
Encryption is the cornerstone of data security. Ensure that all data stored within the board portal is encrypted both in transit and at rest. Advanced encryption standards like AES 256-bit encryption provide a robust shield against unauthorized access.
Secure file sharing
Secure board portals ensure that files can be securely uploaded, shared, and accessed by board members without compromising security.
Multi-factor authentication
Require all users to enable MFA, not just for user access but also for administrative functions within the board portal. This extra layer of security can prevent unauthorized access, even if login credentials are compromised.
Data backups and disaster recovery
Ask about the board portal’s data backup and disaster recovery plans. Regularly back up all board portal data to secure offsite locations, ensuring that critical board information can be restored in the event of data loss.
Audit trails
Audit trails automatically track all activities within a board portal. This feature provides transparency into who accessed what information and when. By monitoring and detecting unusual or suspicious user activity within the board portal, these tools provide early warning signs of potential security breaches.
Ongoing training
Human error will always pose a significant cybersecurity risk. Ensure that all board members and board administrators receive proper training on security best practices, including how to recognize phishing attempts and other common threats.
Audit of Aprio’s board portal protection: how it conforms to the industry’s highest cybersecurity standards
Aprio prioritizes data protection to ensure the highest level of board portal security. We employ robust measures to safeguard your data at every level, from storage and backups to monitoring and encryption.
Aprio ensures secure data hosting using tier 4 data centers and Microsoft Azure servers. Our platform includes continuous backups, redundancy, and disaster recovery capabilities. Security personnel continuously monitor the service, and we maintain a Service Level Agreement (SLA) of 99.99% uptime.
We meet the highest security standards across the industry with comprehensive protection for storage, transit and access. But buyer beware: not all ‘secure board portals‘ conform to the same standards and types of data security.
Data hosting
- Tier 4 data centers
- Microsoft Azure servers
- Continuous backups, redundancy, and disaster recovery capabilities
- 24-hour monitoring by security personnel
- Service Level Agreement (SLA) of 99.99% uptime
Data encryption
- AES 256-bit encryption in transit and at rest
- SHA-256 cryptographic hash functions to protect passwords
Security controls
- ISO 27001 certification
- Compliance with AT 101 SOC 2 Type 2, SOC 3, HIPAA, SSAE 16/ ISAE 3402
- Certifications under trusted Microsoft Azure cloud services
- Intrusion detection and Distributed Denial of Services (DDoS) protection
Access and permissions
Server security alone is not enough to safeguard data. Access controls for accessing data and information will ensure that your board documents stay within safe virtual walls and protects your information security:
- Role-based access or granular access permission – restricts access to assigned privileges
- Pages not cached
- Device control – assign which devices can be used to access the portal
- Remote data wiping – immediately wipe data from a lost or stolen device
- Multi-factor authentication
- Remote locking – lock out an account if a device is lost or stolen or director leaves
- Single sign-on – one user ID can grant access to all committees and organizations a director belongs to
- Usage reports – ability to monitor director activity
- Document Digital Rights Management (DRM) – control access to board documents
These features help you regulate director actions – let them discuss, save notes and review information all within the portal software, where your data stays secure.
When building secure software, Aprio considers how people naturally work in different board roles, at board meetings and in-between, and uses the most robust technical methods to continuously protect the organization’s data.
“It gives our board and executives a level of confidence knowing our documents are confidential, secure and encrypted within the Aprio Boardroom software. That and the fact that we have been able to reduce the paper use by half, goes a long ways towards the ROI.” – BC Institute of Technology
To learn more about Aprio board technology, talk to our sales team.
