Touchdown’s thoughts on cybersecurity
Following on from CEO James Carter’s recent interview in The Times newspapers’ exclusive Raconteur magazine supplement on ‘Fraud, Cybersecurity & Financial Crime’, we talk about our initial thoughts on cybersecurity.
Cyberattacks and education
No matter what level of technology PR you work in, there is always a surprise when looking at the number of businesses that do not have a crisis management plan in case of cyberattacks and are wholly …unprepared to handle the inevitable inbound media inquiries when an attack happens. Here in the UK, we mark celebrations such as Cybersecurity Awareness Month and World Password Day, but are we embodying the gravity of the risks that this technology poses in our own day-to-day operational lives?
Although many might go unreported, cyberattacks happen regularly. More recently, the NHS was targeted by a ransomware attack, causing significant disruptions to services on the 4th of August and continuing into the following week. This attack really brings home how important it is for organisations of any size to put adequate security measures into place to protect themselves and their client’s data.
Following some research into the world of cybersecurity, we learned that in July alone there were 85 data breaches. The statistic, published by IT Governance, estimates that these incidents led to 99.2 million breached records – many of which were the consequence of cybercrime.
How PR can help in a cyber crisis
If you’re to take anything away from James’ interview about data breaches, its that as PR professionals, the roles of the team here at Touchdown is to help clients use “clear, unemotional language” to convey data breaches and information to key audiences – ranging from customers and employees to partners and the general public. An “open and honest” response as well as a reliable presence are essential both in-house at Touchdown PR and with our clients. The best way to do this is to have a tested plan in place, with support from the very top of the organisation. Building awareness is also an essential, so get inspired to take action by finding out how one of our own clients used a flashmob to depict the importance of cybersecurity.
If you want a PR team that can work under pressure to handle your crisis management, as well as produce effective communications all year round, get in touch by emailing [email protected].
To read the full interview with Raconteur, click here.
