Today we examine what critical role public relations and reputation management plays in cyber attack scenarios—before, during, and after the cyber incident. Last week’s Wood County ransomware attack put a spotlight on how the escalation of such an attack can have costly reputational damages. See video.
To address such cyber attacks, ReputationUs provides this simple breakdown to address from a reputation management perspective BEFORE, DURING and AFTER and attack.
BEFORE a Cyber Attack: Proactive Public Relations
Goal: Build trust, prepare messaging, and establish communication protocols.
- Crisis Communication Planning
- Develop a cyber incident response plan that includes communication strategies.
- Prepare template messages for various stakeholders: employees, customers, media, regulators, partners.
- Designate spokespersons and establish internal roles.
- Reputation Management
- Strengthen your brand’s reputation through transparent communication about cybersecurity efforts.
- Educate stakeholders about how their data is protected.
- Simulation & Training
- Run tabletop exercises to practice PR responses to hypothetical breaches.
- Align PR teams with legal, IT, and executive leadership.
DURING a Cyber Attack: Crisis Communication
Goal: Maintain trust, control the narrative, and prevent misinformation.
- Timely, Accurate Disclosure
- Acknowledge the incident as soon as possible once verified.
- Communicate what is known, what’s being done, and what users should do.
- Avoid speculation—stick to facts.
- Stakeholder Messaging
- Issue tailored updates for employees, customers, media, and regulators.
- Use multiple channels: email, press releases, social media, company website.
- Media & Public Handling
- Coordinate with legal to ensure compliance with disclosure laws.
- Monitor media and social platforms for misinformation and correct it in real time.
AFTER a Cyber Attack: Recovery & Rebuilding Trust
Goal: Rebuild reputation, ensure transparency, and show accountability.
- Post-Incident Reporting
- Share the results of the investigation—what happened, how it was resolved, and future protections.
- Demonstrate accountability by acknowledging any failures and improvements.
- Ongoing Communication
- Keep affected parties informed on a regular basis, especially if there’s a long-term impact (e.g., stolen data).
- Provide updates on remediation efforts, such as policy changes, improved systems, or staff training.
- Reputation Repair
- Launch PR campaigns to rebuild public trust.
- Highlight cybersecurity investments and lessons learned.
