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I am pleased to be asked to assist the National Association of Corporate Directors in a social media pod at their annual Board Leadership Conference, October 11-13, to expose directors in a more in-depth and hands on way to social media (forthcoming).

I am asssiting the NACD by gathering potential readings for issue identification, etc., from my library and online, and specifically seeing things from a governance and board perspective.

Here is a listing:

July 21, 2013, updated July 29, 2013

Richard Leblanc

Associate Professor, Law, Governance & Ethics, York University

Prof Dr Richard W Leblanc

York University

4700 Keele Street

Toronto, CANADA M6S 1P3

Webpage: http://www.yorku.ca/rleblanc

Dr. Leblanc prepared this list of readings and potential issues/trends below, on IT related topics

Board’s role in Social Media “listening”

Lead or be left behind: A chairman’s perspective on social media

http://www.deloitte.com/assets/Dcom-UnitedStates/Local%20Assets/Documents/us_chairman_LeadorLeftBehind_042213.pdf

What Do Corporate Directors and Senior Managers Know about Social Media?

http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/documents/TCB_DN-V4N20-12.Social_Media.pdf

50 Top Tools for Social Media Monitoring, Analytics, and Management

http://socialmediatoday.com/node/1458746

Social Media and the Board: Why #Hashtags Matter to Directors

http://business-ethics.com/2012/04/12/1642-social-media-and-the-board-why-hashtags-should-matter-to-directors/

Seven Steps for Board Success in the Facebook Age

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=2940

Cameras May Open Up the Board Room to Hackers

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/23/technology/flaws-in-videoconferencing-systems-put-boardrooms-at-risk.html?_r=0

Nonprofit Boards and the iPad: a Good Fit?

http://nonprofit.about.com/od/boardquestions/a/Nonprofit-Boards-And-The-Ipad-A-Good-Fit.htm

Potential Issues/Trends

  • Lack of direct digital media management experience for some/many directors, even incumbent CEOs / SMT (senior management team);
  • Psychological / comfort issues as well, but this is changing as boards are going paperless (tablets, portals, etc.) and there is pressure on laggarts;
  • Concerns with Reg FD and equal treatment of investors: directors more comfortable listening;
  • Directors are listening and reading, and this should not be misunderstood for lack of appreciation or passivity: there is high awareness among good boards and directors, which usage statistics above may not reflect;

 

Social Media and Reputational Risk

Reputation Risk: A Corporate Governance Perspective

http://processunity.com/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Reputation-Risk-Conference-Board.pdf

Director: Reputations at Risk

http://www.director.co.uk/magazine/2010/6_June/social_media_63_10.html

Ten Keys to Manage Reputation Risk

http://www.knowledgeleader.com/KnowledgeLeader/Content.nsf/xsp/.ibmmodres/domino/OpenAttachment/KnowledgeLeader/Content.nsf/C3C1BFD887594D4B88257B58006610E6/body/The%20Bulletin,%20Issue%202,%20Volume%20V%20--%20Ten%20Keys%20to%20Managing%20Reputation%20Risk.pdf

Virtual world, real risks: When social media becomes a liability

http://www.grant-thornton.co.uk/PageFiles/3572/Virtual%20World_Real%20Risk.pdf

Reputational Risks & The Role Of Social Media

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoTtmRgDThs

Social Media Said to Present Significant Reputational Risks

http://www.marketingcharts.com/wp/direct/social-media-said-to-present-significant-reputational-risks-22952/

Three Steps Towards Managing Reputational Risk

http://deloitte.wsj.com/riskandcompliance/2013/04/25/three-steps-toward-managing-reputational-risk/

The Board, Social Media and Liabilities

http://www.mediabadger.com/2012/12/the-board-social-media-and-liabilities/

Reputation risk management on the rise

http://www.camagazine.com/reputationrisk/

Social media reputation damage high on risk managers’ list of concerns

http://www.ferma.eu/2011/10/social-media-reputation-damage-high-on-risk-managers-list-of-concerns/

The Risks of Social Media: Self-Inflicted Reputation Damage

http://www.riskmanagementmonitor.com/the-risks-of-social-media-self-inflicted-reputation-damage/

Potential Issues/Trends

  • Speed, inter-connectedness and unpredictability of transmission;
  • Personal vs executive vs corporate reputations now merging;
  • Design and implementation of internal controls, balanced with communication and opportunity;
  • SM was junior position at outset, but now best practice is senior management oversight or member ownership;
  • Crisis planning involves digital stress testing and response plans in advance; mock runs also;
  • Reputation online background checks for directors, management, employees now; good firms will do regular reviews of current members;
  • Online analytics part of information flow to good SMTs and boards;

 

Integrating Social Media into overall strategy/questions the board should be asking management

Why boards need to adopt social media

http://blogs.reuters.com/lucy-marcus/2012/03/22/why-boards-need-to-adopt-social-media/

What Directors Think About Social Media

https://www.boardmember.com/MagazineArticle_Details.aspx?id=9128

Boards remain uneasy about social media, says women’s directors group

http://www.corporatesecretary.com/articles/technology-social-media/12487/boards-remain-uneasy-about-social-media-says-womens-directors-group/

Directors and IT: What works best?™

http://www.pwc.com/en_US/us/corporate-governance/publications/directors-and-it/assets/pwc-it-for-corporate-directors-full-report.pdf

Social Media – questions for directors to ask

http://www.cica.ca/focus-on-practice-areas/governance-strategy-and-risk/directors-series/director-alerts/item63118.pdf

20 Questions Directors Should Ask about Information Technology Security

http://www.cica.ca/focus-on-practice-areas/information-technology/publications/item46763.pdf

SOCIAL MEDIA: What Boards Need to Know

http://www.weil.com/files/upload/May2012_Opinion.pdf

Elevating technology on the boardroom agenda

http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/business_technology/elevating_technology_on_the_boardroom_agenda

10 Questions You Should Ask Your Social Media Expert, Guru or Wizard

http://www.socmedsean.com/10-questions-you-should-ask-your-social-media-expert-guru-or-wizard/

52 Questions To Ask When Hiring A Social Media Company

http://outspokenmedia.com/social-media/quesitons-hiring-a-social-media-company/

The Key to Social Media Success Within Organizations

http://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/the-key-to-social-media-success-within-organizations/

The Board’s Responsibility for Information Technology Governance

http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1947283

MONITORING RISKS BEFORE THEY GO VIRAL:
IS IT TIME FOR THE BOARD TO EMBRACE SOCIAL MEDIA?

http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/research/documents/CGRP25%20-%20Social%20Media.pdf

Privacy and Boards of Directors:; What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You

http://www.ipc.on.ca/images/Resources/director.pdf

Execs Not Using Social Media At Board Level Strategy

http://www.business2community.com/social-media/execs-not-using-social-media-at-board-level-strategy-0318067

Social Media — The New Business Reality for Board Directors

http://www.pwc.com/en_CA/ca/directorconnect/publications/pwc-social-media-new-reality-for-directors-2012-09-28-en.pdf

Too Many Top Executives Aren't Taking Social Media Seriously

http://www.businessinsider.com/top-executives-dont-take-social-media-seriously-2013-5

Why 1700 CEOs Are Wrong about Social Media

http://socialmediatoday.com/thoughtreach/991031/why-1700-ceos-are-wrong-about-social-media?inf_contact_key=3791995094c307c4b1d275d00b36b16025118ec3bcf13175ef3d187c59ac45b8&goback=.gmp_4220981

How Kodak Squandered Every Single Digital Opportunity It Had

http://mashable.com/2012/01/20/kodak-digital-missteps/

Potential Issues/Trends

  • SM seen in the main as a risk (: defensive, liability), versus being seen opportunistically and strategically;
  • CIOs/CTOs may lack broad P&L experience for board membership; this may not change;
  • Technology / reputation risk may need board committee oversight, depending on sector and opportunity/threat;
  • SM advocates may have self interest (e.g., vendors, service providers): assurance and analytics are immature but evolving;

 

Big Data/ Analytics

Big data: The next frontier for innovation, competition, and productivity

http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/business_technology/big_data_the_next_frontier_for_innovation

Big data

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_data

http://searchbusinessanalytics.techtarget.com/definition/big-data-analytics

Guide to big data analytics tools, trends and best practices

Experts share perspectives and identify best practices for big data analytics projects in this Essential Guide.

http://searchbusinessanalytics.techtarget.com/essentialguide/Guide-to-big-data-analytics-tools-trends-and-best-practices

Severe Consequences Face Big Data Analytics Without Governance, Experts Say

http://www.crn.com/news/security/240158457/severe-consequences-face-big-data-analytics-without-governance-experts-say.htm

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND FIRM PROFITABILITY: MECHANISMS AND EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE

http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1000732

New research suggests using big data, particularly social media data, can lead to a biased representation of the data based on societal factors.

http://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/the-pitfalls-of-using-online-and-social-data-in-big-data-analysis/

Potential Issues/Trends

  • Big Data is somewhat tangential to my area of expertise, so I will not comment; however; big data / analytics are an important area, with significant capacity and opportunity, and it is correct for this item to be on this list;

 

Social Media & CRM

Three Out of Four Social Networkers are Logging in on Company Time, Ethics Resource Center Reports

http://www.ethics.org/news/three-out-four-social-networkers-are-logging-company-time-ethics-resource-center-reports

How the Voice of the People Is Driving Corporate Social Responsibility

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2013/07/how_the_voice_of_the_people_is.html

Social Media in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

http://blogs.cisco.com/csr/social-media-in-corporate-social-responsibility-csr/

Tying Together Social Media and Corporate Social Responsibility

http://www.convinceandconvert.com/pr-20/tying-together-social-media-and-corporate-social-responsibility/

Mashable: Corporate Social Responsibility

http://mashable.com/category/corporate-social-responsibility/

Why Social Media Is Vital to Corporate Social Responsibility

http://mashable.com/2009/11/06/social-responsibility/

A Guide To Social Media For CSR Professionals

http://www.csrwire.com/blog/posts/721-a-guide-to-social-media-for-csr-professionals

Telus Corporate Social Responsibility Report 2012

http://csr.telus.com/en/

Tying Together Social Media and Corporate Social Responsibility

http://www.convinceandconvert.com/pr-20/tying-together-social-media-and-corporate-social-responsibility/

Potential Issues/Trends

  • Digital media is the new stakeholder communication platform;
  • CSR lacks rigor of reporting that US GAPP / IFRS have; this is changing, but regulators are waiting for maturity; GRI has made good efforts, as have others (e.g., integrated reporting);
  • CSR (including Climate change/environmental) may lag because of austerity and jobs concerns since 2008;
  • Exemplary companies (see above) are communicating CSR through social media, communicating directly with stakeholders;
  • Opportunity to affect messaging and communication: needs to be genuine and two way; listening and acting; stakeholder groups are sophisticated, even activist;

 

Trends/Emerging Topics

What Do Corporate Directors and Senior Managers Know about Social Media?

http://tcbblogs.org/governance/2012/10/31/what-do-corporate-directors-and-senior-managers-know-about-social-media/

Use of board portals and social media

http://www.conference-board.org/retrievefile.cfm?filename=TCB-CoW_V2N11.pdf&type=subsite

2012 CEO, social media & leadership survey

http://www.brandfog.com/CEOSocialMediaSurvey/BRANDfog_2012_CEO_Survey.pdf

Taming Information Technology Risk:

A New Framework for Boards of Directors

http://www.oliverwyman.com/media/OW_EN_GRC_2011_PUBL_Taming_IT_Risk.pdf

IBM CEO Predicts Three Ways Technology Will Transform The Future Of Business

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2013/03/08/ibm-ceo-predicts-three-ways-technology-will-transform-the-future-of-business/?goback=.gmp_4220981.gde_4220981_member_221432830

The Next Digital Paradigm

http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregsatell/2013/02/02/the-next-digital-paradigm/?goback=.gmp_4220981

Make Social Media an Organizational Asset – Right Now!

http://www.thecmosite.com/author.asp?section_id=1237&doc_id=246605

THE FUTURE OF DIGITAL [SLIDE DECK]

http://www.businessinsider.com/future-of-digital-slides-2012-11?goback=.gmp_4220981

Ten Technology Trends that Will Change the World in the Next Ten Years

http://www.zawya.com/story/ZAWYA20120212081954/

Technology, Strategy and Shareholder Engagement Driving Corporate Governance

http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_us/us/press/ac998d5e23835310VgnVCM2000001b56f00aRCRD.htm

Potential Issues/Trends

  • Rapid change and transformation occurring: a few have said ‘revolution’, e.g., cloud, meta data, digital payment, social platforms, ease of use, direct contact with users;
  • Intermediaries in any value chain may need to transform because of technology;
  • Board should be in position to predict, press and stretch management if / when SMT is off-course or in denial;
  • Some industries/sectors will need to transform or die / be replaced: opportunities here; we are seeing transformation and complacent vs strong boards;
  • Boards should not be in denial if SMT (day to day) may be, and see up and out (what is coming) to fullest extent possible;

 

Cyber

Cyber Risk Management – A Board Level Responsibility:
http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/business-sectors/docs/c/12-1119-cyber-risk-management-board-responsibility

10 Steps to Cyber Security – Executive Companion:

http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/business-sectors/docs/0-9/12-1120-10-steps-to-cyber-security-executive

http://www.gchq.gov.uk/Press/Pages/10-Steps-to-Cyber-Security.aspx

Cyber risk, Guidance note

https://www.icsaglobal.com/assets/files/Guidance%20notes/gn06-2013cyberrisk.pdf

Cyber security: Considerations for the audit committee

http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/Cybersecurity_Considerations_for_the_audit_committee/$FILE/Cybersecurity_considerations_for_the_audit_committee_GA0001.pdf

Cyber Security and the UK's Critical National Infrastructure

http://www.chathamhouse.org/publications/papers/view/178171

Cost of cyber attacks triples in a year

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/bb3fcc90-ab4a-11e2-ac71-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2Zcz9iIg1

Cyber threats and security breaches forcing companies to re-evaluate risk management

http://www.canadianunderwriter.ca/news/cyber-threats-and-security-breaches-forcing-companies-to-re-evaluate-risk-management/1002271537/

The Art of Cyber War

http://www.nacdonline.org/Resources/Article.cfm?ItemNumber=6807

U.S. Outgunned in Hacker War

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304177104577307773326180032.html

Cybersecurity and Internet Governance

http://www.cfr.org/cybersecurity/cybersecurity-internet-governance/p30621?goback=.gmp_4220981

Time to get real over cyber security

http://www.cbronline.com/blogs/cbr-rolling-blog/time-to-get-real-over-cyber-security-230212

Cyber crime is now a booming industry

http://www.business-standard.com/article/technology/cyber-crime-is-now-a-booming-industry-112012300057_1.html

Potential Issues/Trends

  • Rogue players beyond domestic enforcement, sanctions (e.g., Al Qaeda, China, Russia, Ukraine, other);
  • Lack of full understanding of precise vulnerabilities by some/many directors;
  • Under-reporting by companies who have been hacked, and industry specific (e.g., defense, utilities, banking);
  • Government action increasing (e.g., NSA): privacy concerns;
  • Literature is still very general (some exceptions, e.g., NACD above (The Art of Cyber War), others), suggesting lack of knowledge, immaturity;
  • Multi/bi-lateral agreement to enforce within rogue states needed;
  • Good industry-specific boards will do (have done) thorough cyber review and strengthen defective controls, with expert input;
  • Some boards have IT as a desired board competency, and IT as material business risk;

 

BYOD- Security

Good Governance Guide: Issues to consider in the use of tablets for accessing board papers

http://www.csaust.com/media/365618/2012_ggg_tablets_boardroom_v2.pdf

10 steps for writing a secure BYOD policy

http://www.zdnet.com/10-steps-for-writing-a-secure-byod-policy-7000006170/

For BYOD Best Practices, Secure Data, Not Devices

http://www.cio.com/article/711258/For_BYOD_Best_Practices_Secure_Data_Not_Devices

Security Think Tank: BYOD – key tenets and best practices

http://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/Security-Think-Tank-BYOD-key-tenets-and-best-practices

Bring Your Own Devices Best Practices Guide - Dell

http://i.dell.com/sites/doccontent/business/smb/sb360/en/Documents/good-byod-best-practices-guide.pdf

Learn BYOD policy best practices from templates

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/it-consultant/learn-byod-policy-best-practices-from-templates/

Best practices to make BYOD simple and secure

A guide to selecting technologies and developing policies for BYOD

http://www.citrix.com/content/dam/citrix/en_us/documents/oth/byod-best-practices.pdf

Dell Outlines The Death Of The PC

http://www.forbes.com/sites/adriankingsleyhughes/2013/03/30/dell-outlines-the-death-of-the-pc/?goback=.gmp_4220981

Potential Issues/Trends

  • Usage may have overtaken internal controls and policies in some companies;
  • Demographic and talent issues (e.g. education sector, younger students may: bring only a smartphone to class; not have used pen and paper);
  • Theft, loss: purging of data, passwords, signatures, controls to mitigate: policies all progressing, at differential speed;
  • Better policies available (see above); Whitehouse example: http://www.whitehouse.gov/digitalgov/bring-your-own-device
  • Devices may be opportunities, e.g., over 100K online course registrants in Harvard-MIT course: devices may be (or already are) the main channel of communication to customers, other stakeholders;

 

Executive Security

Corporate Theft? Build a barrier with access governance

http://www.kpmg.com/US/en/IssuesAndInsights/ArticlesPublications/Documents/corporate-theft-build-barrier-access-governance.pdf

Global Status Report
on the
Governance of Enterprise It (GEIt)—2011

http://www.isaca.org/Knowledge-Center/Research/Documents/Global-Status-Report-GEIT-10Jan2011-Research.pdf

Cobit: An information security survival kit

http://www.pkfavantedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/COBIT_Security.pdf

Potential Issues/Trends

  • See cyber;
  • There should be rigorous controls, and third party validation if possible, e.g., separation of duties, prevention of management over-ride, treatment of passwords, restricted digital areas, separation of development and approval, record retention, etc.;
  • Assume IT and executive management self interest: control environment and board oversight/reporting important to deter fraud schemes, internal cyber;

 

Social Media & Investor Relations

A Virtual Annual Meeting Approach

http://www.directorship.com/adopting-a-virtual-approach-to-the-annual-meeting/

Call to move huge annual reports online

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/71dc17ba-19d5-11e0-b921-00144feab49a.html#axzz2Zcz9iIg1

Twitter Speaks, Markets Listen and Fears Rise

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/29/business/media/social-medias-effects-on-markets-concern-regulators.html?pagewanted=all

Dress rehearsal for disaster shows why Twitter has no place on Wall Street

http://opinion.financialpost.com/2013/04/26/dress-rehearsal-for-disaster-shows-why-twitter-has-no-place-on-wall-street/

SEC Says Social Media OK for Company Announcements if Investors Are Alerted http://www.sec.gov/News/PressRelease/Detail/PressRelease/1365171513574#.Uer4KFMpcvQ

New SEC Guidance on Social Media Levels Playing Field for Investors

http://blogs.cfainstitute.org/marketintegrity/2013/04/08/new-sec-guidance-on-social-media-levels-playing-field-for-investors/

How to Use Social Media for Regulation FD Compliance

https://blogs.law.harvard.edu/corpgov/2013/04/16/how-to-use-social-media-for-regulation-fd-compliance/

SEC Blesses Social Media Disclosures

http://www3.cfo.com/article/2013/4/disclosure_regulation-fair-disclosure-twitter-facebook-social-media-sec-guidelines-governance

The Push and Pull of Social Media for Investor Relations

http://blog.businesswire.com/2013/06/20/the-push-and-pull-of-social-media-for-investor-relations/

The Greatest Social Media for Investor Relations Panel Ever*

http://blog.investorrelations.com/2013/06/24/the-greatest-social-media-for-investor-relations-panel-ever/

Social Media’s Place in Investor Relations

http://thesocialmediamonthly.com/social-medias-place-in-investor-relations/

Social Media for Investor Relations

http://www.slideshare.net/IRSmartt/social-media-for-investor-relations-12976664

Survey finds social media gap between investors, companies

http://irwebreport.com/20130611/iros-vs-investors-social-media/

Crisis investor relations in the age of social media

http://irwebreport.com/20111208/crisis-investor-relations-social-media/

SEC’s social media guidance has devil in details

http://irwebreport.com/20130403/secs-social-media-guidance-has-devil-in-details/

Social Media Strategy for Investor Relations

http://www.brandchannel.com/images/papers/530_ccg_wp_social_media_strategy_ir_0911.pdf

Potential Issues/Trends

  • SEC permits investor contact using SM: significant;
  • Accuracy and fair disclosure concerns by companies and investors;
  • Regulators are reviewing proxy plumbing (shareholders) and will inevitably address SM, perhaps even (eventually) digital investor voting, fora, collaboration, communication using digital platform [think of a LI or FB group within a company investor section of a website];
  • Investor relations will use (are using) SM, including digital communication, hybrid annual meetings, Q and A, outreach, etc.: this will mature and eventually be regulated to provide structure, expectations;
  • Paper, in person meetings, email, even voting may/will be replaced with digital (text, visual, audio – multi media): the changes are starting;

 

Other:

Director skills

Recruiting the Digital Director

http://www.spencerstuart.com/research/bg/1535/

Wanted: More Directors With Digital Savvy

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324031404578483043683328314.html?goback=.gmp_4220981.gde_4220981_member_241245618

CIOs Say Corporate Directors Are Clueless About IT

http://www.cio.com/article/721456/CIOs_Say_Corporate_Directors_Are_Clueless_About_IT?goback=.gmp_4220981

Risk and IT intersection

Observations on Developments in Risk Appetite Frameworks and IT Infrastructure

http://www.newyorkfed.org/newsevents/news/banking/2010/an101223.pdf

Recruiting a Nonprofit Digital Board Director: Limitations & Alternatives

http://non-profit-management-dr-fram.com/2013/05/27/recruiting-a-nonprofit-digital-board-director-limitations-alternatives/

Nonprofit Board Responsibility Social Media – What Needs To Be Done? Revised & Updated

http://non-profit-management-dr-fram.com/2013/06/23/nonprofit-board-responsibility-social-media-what-needs-to-be-done-revised-updated/

 

Management suite:

Digital diaspora in the enterprise: Arrival of the CDO and CCO

http://www.zdnet.com/digital-diaspora-in-the-enterprise-arrival-of-the-cdo-and-cco-7000016193/

CIOs Can Strengthen Your Board of Directors

http://blogs.cio.com/careers/17010/cios-can-strengthen-your-board-directors?goback=.gde_4220981_member_111162885

KPMG brochure:

Risk management in an evolving world

Making the case for social media governance

http://www.kpmg.com/US/en/IssuesAndInsights/ArticlesPublications/Documents/social-media-brochure.pdf

Updated on July 29th, 2013.