Why you need IT expertise at board level

IT is just as important as other areas that typically have representation at board level, yet it's often overlooked as a day to day operational detail instead of being strategic.

Technology impacts every single aspect of business today, and it can be a significant tool to drive efficiencies and sales, whilst also creating risks around security and reputation.

If you don't have this expertise available, you will be caught out when you have a systems failure, cyber attack or other major IT issue, and left behind by competitors who treat IT as a strategic part of their business.

Regulators in particular want to know what your business continuity plans are, and this includes your IT systems. Can your board answer these questions:

• What are your procedures for bringing systems back online?
• How quickly can you bring systems back online?
• How much data will be lost during an outage?
• What standards do you adhere to, such as COBIT?
• What happens if a key IT provider has operational difficulties which impacts your business?
• When did you last subject your systems to an external penetration test?

Even if you have full time IT staff below board level, someone at the top needs to understand the key risks and be able and willing to examine why decisions have been made.