At a time when hackers are getting smarter and smarter, a data breach could strike at any moment. If you don't communicate about this appropriately, you will suffer irreversible reputational damage. How do you best respond to the media during a crisis?
A crisis is characterized by three aspects: great impact, great urgency to act, and great uncertainty. A data breach is a crisis that has all three characteristics and occurs frequently. CBS, for example, received nearly 10,000 reports of data breaches in the first six months of 2024. Remarkably, 88 percent of these organizations thought they were well prepared for a data breach, for example by locking personal data preventively.
In 89 percent of the data breaches, names of employees, customers or other stakeholders were leaked. Sixty-two percent also involved contact information, such as addresses and phone numbers. When this personal data is out on the street, it can have significant consequences for employees, customers or other stakeholders. And what's more, all eyes are on you.
The media often know how to find organizations quickly in the event of a data breach. As an organization, you can do three things: fight, flee or stand still. TNO research shows that in nine out of ten crisis situations, denial is the first reaction. But in just as many cases, people later had to admit that there was indeed a crisis. A shame, because the mere failure to respond causes reputational damage. And also the sentence "Organization xxx indicated that it did not wish to comment" fuels distrust.
Our advice: get heard in a crisis. In the social media age we live in, the desired response time to a crisis is 24 minutes. How do you address this?
Have one experienced colleague speak to the media, such as the CEO or communications manager. Don't let your colleagues talk to the media; otherwise you run the risk of different statements about the situation coming out. And if anything fuels distrust, it is contradictory communication from one party.
Research shows that victims of a crisis look for explanations to reduce their stress levels about the crisis. Therefore, it is good to communicate what you know about the problem, what the consequences are and how the problem will be resolved. Avoid words such as "probably" and "we think," as this creates ambiguity. Remember: if you don't give an explanation, someone else will and fake news may result. Then you are even further from home.
Research from Utrecht University shows that people have fewer negative feelings about an organization when it apologizes for a crisis. So apologies can be effective in a crisis that generates a lot of anger. And anger can certainly arise when personal information is out in the open.
Good preparation is half the battle. That's why we recommend setting out what risks your organization faces, what the worst-case scenarios are in this regard, and how you solve these scenarios. Because count on critical questions in the event of a crisis, for example:
It gives peace of mind if you already have much of your communication on paper during a crisis. This is best incorporated into a crisis communication plan.
Your work is not over after sending one press release out into the wide world. Keep giving updates, even if there is no update. Keep all communication channels open and remain accessible. This prevents speculation and shows that you are involved. By doing so, you reduce the chances of further damaging trust in your organization.
Want to know more?
We are experts when it comes to crisis communications. Are you dealing with a data breach or other IT-related incident? Download our whitepaper "Learn to use PR" and immediately use the practical tips to maintain trust in your organization.
Need personalized advice? Give us a call at +31 20 765 75 70 or email info@nxt.agency.
