Board Assurance Review
Independent assurance for boards responsible for cyber and AI risk.
Boards are increasingly accountable for cyber risk governance and AI risk assessment, but many struggle to answer a simple question:
How do we know our governance arrangements are effective?
The Secure Culture Board Assurance Review™ offers an independent assurance review to evaluate governance maturity, aiding boards, governors, and trustees in understanding their current status, identifying gaps, and prioritizing next steps in the context of cyber risk governance.
Utilizing the Secure Culture Assurance Ladder™, we perform an AI risk assessment across five interconnected pillars, delivering practical insight, independent assurance, and a clear roadmap for improvement.
Primary Call to Action
Arrange an initial conversation to discuss AI risk assessment, explore cyber risk governance strategies, and review your needs for an independent assurance review.
Why it matters
Governance requires confidence, not assumptions.
As cyber and AI risks continue to evolve, there are rising expectations for boards and leadership teams. Many organisations have invested in technical controls, policies, and compliance activities but still face challenges in effectively addressing critical questions, such as:
Are we receiving meaningful assurance?
Can we demonstrate effective cyber risk governance?
Is accountability clearly understood?
Are we making informed risk decisions?
Would our board be confident if challenged today?
The independent assurance review, known as the Board Assurance Review™, helps organisations answer these questions objectively.
Who it is for
The Board Assurance Review™ is specifically designed for organisations with governance responsibilities, such as AI risk assessment and cyber risk governance, including: Schools, Multi-Academy Trusts, Governing Boards, Trustees, School Business Leaders, Charities, Membership Organisations, and SMEs with formal governance structures. This independent assurance review serves to enhance the oversight and management of these critical risks.
What we assess
Every review is built around the Secure Culture Assurance Ladder™.
We assess five core pillars in our AI risk assessment framework:
Governance
How cyber risk governance and AI risk are directed, managed, and overseen.
Accountability
Whether roles, responsibilities, and ownership are clearly defined in the context of managing cyber and AI risks.
Assurance
Whether leaders receive meaningful evidence through an independent assurance review that governance arrangements are effective.
Culture
How behaviours, awareness, and leadership support good governance related to cyber and AI risks.
Resilience
How prepared the organisation is to anticipate, respond, and recover from cyber and AI risks.
Our review process
Stage 1 – Discovery
Understanding your organisation, governance structure, objectives, and the importance of AI risk assessment in enhancing cyber risk governance.
Stage 2 – Leadership Discussions
Conducting interviews with key leaders, governors, and stakeholders to gain insights into their perspectives on governance and associated risks.
Stage 3 – Evidence Review
Reviewing governance documentation, policies, and supporting evidence as part of the independent assurance review process to identify areas for improvement.
Stage 4 – Independent Assessment
Applying the Secure Culture Assurance Ladder™ to determine governance maturity, focusing on how effectively your organisation manages AI risks within its cyber risk governance framework.
Stage 5 – Reporting
Producing a Board Assurance Scorecard™, Executive Assessment Report™, and a prioritised improvement roadmap, which incorporates findings from the AI risk assessment.
Stage 6 – Board Briefing
Presenting findings to support informed board discussion, ensuring that leadership understands the outcomes of the independent assurance review.