A Leader’s Guide to Cybersecurity: Why Boards Need to Lead How to Do It, reviewed

By Simon Cocking, review of A Leader’s Guide to Cybersecurity: Why Boards Need to Lead-and How to Do It. Published by Harvard Business Review, available here, written by Thomas J. Parenty and Jack J. Domet

Cybersecurity threats are on the rise. As a leader, you need to be prepared to keep your organization safe.

Companies are investing an unprecedented amount of money to keep their data and assets safe, yet cyberattacks are on the rise–and the problem is worsening. No amount of technology, resources, or policies will reverse this trend. Only sound governance, originating with the board, can turn the tide.

Protection against cyberattacks can’t be treated as a problem solely belonging to an IT or cybersecurity department. It needs to cast a wide and impenetrable net that covers everything an organization does–from its business operations, models, and strategies to its products and intellectual property. And boards are in the best position to oversee the needed changes to strategy and hold their companies accountable. Not surprisingly, many boards aren’t prepared to assume this responsibility.

In A Leader’s Guide to Cybersecurity, Thomas Parenty and Jack Domet, who have spent over three decades in the field, present a timely, clear-eyed, and actionable framework that will empower senior executives and board members to become stewards of their companies’ cybersecurity activities. This includes:

• Understanding cyber risks and how best to control them
• Planning and preparing for a crisis–and leading in its aftermath
• Making cybersecurity a companywide initiative and responsibility
• Drawing attention to the nontechnical dynamics that influence the effectiveness of cybersecurity measures
• Aligning the board, executive leadership, and cybersecurity teams on priorities

Filled with tools, best practices, and strategies, A Leader’s Guide to Cybersecurity will help boards navigate this seemingly daunting but extremely necessary transition.

A Leader’s Guide to Cybersecurity: Why Boards Need to Lead How to Do It, reviewed

We’re seeing more and more books on this topic, which makes sense as it is becoming an increasingly important issue now as more and more people are now working online, remotely and often from home. This book was published in December 2019, so it looks even more prescient in light of the changes that covid-19 brought to so many businesses.

This book follows a logical and helpful structure walking you through various risks and considerations that you really need to be thinking about, and having a strategy in place for dealing with problems that may rise. Coming in at under 200 pages of text it is short and concise too, and light on the jargon as well. It was a thoughtful book to read and potentially very relevant for a wide range of board members.

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