Security Basics for Executives

When companies get breached, it's rarely the sophisticated attack. It's a convincing email, a reused password, a leaver who still has access, or a payment with no second check. You don't need to understand the technology to find out where you stand. You need the right questions, and straight answers.

This kit gives a leadership team both, and a way to practice before it matters. It's deliberately basic: it's meant to frame the right conversations, not replace a security review.

What's in it

• The questions to ask: eight questions that reveal where you really stand, each with what a good answer sounds like and the red flag to listen for.
• The basics, with an owner: nine unglamorous controls that stop real attacks, with space for who owns each and when it's next checked.
• Talking to the board: how to turn technical language into business risk, and a one-page board update to fill in.
• A 45-minute ransomware rehearsal: a Monday-morning scenario in four parts, with the questions to work through at each - who decides, who calls the insurer, what you tell customers, and the fake bank-details email that follows.
• Who calls whom, and the debrief: a contact sheet to keep off the network, and three actions to leave with.

Who it's for

CEOs, owners and leadership teams who know security matters, suspect they couldn't answer the hard questions today, and want to fix the basics before they're tested for real.

It builds on The Security Questions Every Executive Should Be Able to Answer.

It's a practical guide, not a security audit or legal advice. For a serious incident, call your insurer, a specialist and a lawyer first.

It's a 4-page US Letter PDF.