20
www.
cbai
.com
+
Community Bankers Association of Illinois
Bank
notes
Banks should mirror this shift in the
board’s behavior: relying on traditional
paper packages for sharing important
documents and reports, banks will have
a difficult time giving board members
access to the information they need in
a timely, cost effective manner.
Secure Connections
Preparing and disseminating sensitive
bank documents can be a daunting
task. You and your staff undoubtedly
spend days collecting, compiling
and duplicating important materials.
Once assembled, these packages
must be distributed to board members
in advance, so that they can review
the materials and prepare for any
upcoming decisions. And mailing
paper documents creates its own
privacy concerns, since confidential
information is now exposed outside the
four walls of the organization.
Increasingly, banks are turning to online
board portals to address these challenges.
Board portals allow authorized persons
to post and access confidential data
from the convenience of their home or
office. Instead of waiting for a paper
package to be assembled and shipped,
the necessary people receive instant,
secure access to documents that are
posted to the portal.
The portal should be fully compatible
with web browsers and mobile devices,
enabling board members to bring their
paperwork to board meetings on their
laptop, tablet or smartphone.
Enhanced Security
Ease of access is important, but security
remains the top priority for sensitive
and confidential board documents.
Viable portal providers incorporate key
security features within the technology.
The most beneficial feature allows
only designated individuals access to
confidential materials. An extended
security feature can enable users to
limit who can view certain materials
and allows directors to specify which
board members or committees can
access particular documents.
But what about lost or stolen devices?
Many banks fret about this occurring,
but you can ensure compliance and
security with a little planning and
preparation. Banks must develop
corporate policies that cover every
aspect of device use — and these
policies should extend to board
members as well. One important
aspect to include is Mobile Device
Management, whereby the organization
decides which devices will be supported
and what level of access is acceptable
for compliance, with options ranging
from enforceable complex passwords,
encryption or patching, and remote-
wiping rules. Policies should detail an
acceptable-use strategy detailing the
ways in which board members may use
their devices while using bank networks
or resources.
To prepare for the worst-case scenario,
the policy must outline a plan in the
event a device is lost or stolen. Board
members need to know the protocol,
including when and to whom they
must report a lost item, as well as
their rights concerning remote wiping
or deactivation.
These preparations are often useful
beyond board access, too. Many banks
are allowing regular staff to use their
own mobile devices on the corporate
network, and these safeguards will
provide stronger security for board use
as well as employee use.
Reduce Cost
Community banks also are finding board
portals can save not only time, but also
money. It is extremely important for
today’s bankers to focus on operational
costs and identify ways to reduce those
costs whenever possible. One post to
an online board portal eliminates the
need to assemble packages for each
individual board member, saving hours
of preparation and reams of paper.
Accessing documents online will also
eliminate courier and supply costs,
which can add up over time.
Online board portals can be a cost-
effective, secure way to streamline
communications. Bring your board
communications into the future while
saving on supply costs and enhancing
access to reports.
n
The Computer Services, Inc. (CSI) Board
Portal Intranet is a preferred service of
Community BancService Corporation, Inc.
(CBSC) and is utilized by the boards of
the CBAI corporate family. You may learn
more about Board Portal by contacting
Bill Evers at
or
(800) 545-4274, ext. 19224.
Community banks also are
finding board portals can save
not only time, but also money.
