As mergers and purchases (M&As) increase all over the world, cybersecurity is more important than ever before. The stakes are very high should confidential information be accidentally divulged to bad actors during M&A due diligence, or is accidentally revealed during post-M&A integration and operations.

The good news is the appropriate software can aid M&A CIOs in ensuring the integrity of data, ensuring compliance, and defending against the risks associated with M&A activities. This includes the right data room solution that consolidates several digital tools into a single platform that is easy to use with uploads of data and single sign-on. It also provides comprehensive auditing and reporting which helps compliance teams maintain the control over their information and prevent accidental disclosure.

Virtual data rooms can be a great tool to manage the M&A processes from due diligence through post-M&A operations and integration. VDRs allow authorized users to easily review comments, share, and even comment on sensitive documents, without risk of leakage. They also permit users to create activity reports that indicate who has accessed and read specific pages of documents. These reports can stop those who leak data from being caught because they can trace them back to the individual user. These reports can also help M&A CISOs to assess the level of interest from potential buyers or investors.

Many M&A deals are dependent on the value of intellectual property. Life science companies, for example, utilize virtual data rooms to manage everything from the results of clinical trials and HIPAA compliance to licensing IP and storage of patient records. In the course of M&A due diligence, it is typical for companies to to submit and review large amounts of documents. This can be a very labor-intensive and time-consuming task for both the company being acquired and the acquirer. A VDR can be utilized to efficiently transfer all this data over a secure platform.

M&A is a complicated business process that can pose significant security risks, irrespective of the industry. During the integration and operations phases of the M&A cycle, the M&A team must be aware of the dangers of cybercriminals as well as competitors. These risks may include malware, unauthorised access to systems and networks as well as sabotage and other forms of disruption that can undermine the M&A value offer.

With the right security solutions in place, M&A can be a lucrative and rewarding business experience. M&A provides businesses with an excellent opportunity to expand their global footprint and increase their value. To ensure that this value is datarooms.in not affected, a specific cybersecurity strategy must be in place prior to any transactions are initiated. Download our free guide Cybersecurity for M&A – From the M&A Playbook to learn more. Todd Thiemann is director of marketing for the product of ReliaQuest GreyMatter, a Security Operations Platform that allows cybersecurity to be achieved through M&A and provides transparency, reducing the complexity of heterogenous security stacks, and reducing risk and uncertainty so your business can meet its goals.