Cyber Crisis Communication Plan 

Preparation for cyberattacks is the key to limiting and managing the reputation damage to the company. Cyber security threats impact almost all types of businesses and companies, how you respond and manage the cyber threat will determine the success and failure of the business. Today, we’ll discuss a cyber crisis communication plan; key elements, importance, and steps involved in building a cyber crisis communication plan against data breach, hacking, and cyber threats.

Key Elements of Cyber Crisis Communication

• Nature of crisis that requires you to communication
• Steps you have taken to decrease the crisis
• The target audience for the communication
• Channels and medium of communication
• Crisis communication team for building the plan
• Available resources for crafting the crisis plan

Importance and Benefits of Cyber Crisis Communication Plan

• Everyone would have their own interpretation of the crisis situation without a crisis communication plan; it spreads misinformation and creates an environment of uncertainty
• Open and honest communication helps the company to manage the narrative of the crisis event and ensures customers and stakeholders that you are taking steps to resolve the problem
• Decreases the threat of brand reputation damage
• Protecting the image of the company
• Informing all the employees about every stage of the crisis
• Preparing employees what type of information they should keep and share

Steps in Building a Cyber Crisis Communication Plan 

Let’s discuss some of the main steps in building a cyber crisis communication plan; they’re as follows;

Recognize Potential Cyber Threat

First of all, you should recognize different types of cyber threats and crises that would have potentially negative impacts and consequences. It allows you to determine the potential vulnerabilities in the cybersecurity system of your company and prepare in advance.

However, if you are aware of the potential weaknesses and vulnerabilities in your company’s security system, then it allows you to take necessary proactive to make your cybersecurity system strong. Some of them are as follows;

• Providing necessary tools, equipment, and resources to the cybersecurity team
• Conducting training programs to effectively detect cyber threats

When you are ready and prepared for the potential cyber security threats and know your response, then it offers you sufficient time to analyze the whole situation.

Cyber Communication Team

Once you have recognized and detected the potential cybersecurity threat, you should assemble and create a cyber communication team and committee. The company’s top leadership like the CEO and chairman should lead the cyber communication team. While building a team, you should include team members from all the departments; legal, HR, and IT. Their role is to take the following steps;

• Develop an effective crisis communication plan
• Gathering relevant information
• Deciding the roles and responsibilities of various members in terms of receiving and delivering information
• Beware of the resources that you have allocated to every member
• Taking the right actions to resolve the crisis

Crafting Cyber Crisis Communication Statement

Once you have rightly diagnosed and recognized the type of cyber security threat; you are in a better position to effectively respond to the crisis event. If the company is aware of the crisis and threat, it knows better how to communicate and the type of information it should share with the public and media. As a result, it saves a lot of valuable time and resources for the company. Their first draft may not be perfect, but it is much better than communicating from scratch.

Recognizing Key Stakeholders

You should perform an audience analysis to know your stakeholders that you need to communicate with; and how urgent you should contact them. They’re as follows;

• Victims of the Cyber Attack: you should quickly approach them and let them know you are taking the necessary steps to manage the crisis
• Internal Stakeholders: brief your employees and internal stakeholders about the crisis and let them know how to communicate with the external media what to share and what not
• General Public: inform the general public about the narrative of the crisis and cyber threat that the company is facing

The internal stakeholders are the following parties;

• Investors
• Insurance brokers
• Lawyers
• Accountants
• Consultants
• Labor unions
• Suppliers

Multiple Communication Channels

While communicating with the general public and external customers, you should employ multiple media channels to make everyone aware of the cyber attack. They could be social media platforms, digital media, TV, billboards, and others. It allows the company to promote its narrative of the story, avoid confusion, and stop all types of misinterpretation and uncertainties relevant to the cyber threat crisis of the company.

Employees Communication

Companies should timely inform all employees about the cyber threat crisis before they hear it on the news and social media channels. If they hear it first from the company, they would be highly likely to follow and believe in the company’s narrative of the story.

Conclusion: Cyber Crisis Communication Plan |How to Build a Cyber Crisis Communication Plan 

After an in-depth study of the cyber crisis communication plan; we have realized that crisis communication planning is highly significant to manage the crisis. If you are learning about cyber threat crisis communication planning; then you should keep in mind the abovementioned elements, benefits, and steps involved in building the cybersecurity threat communication plan.