In this Internet age, more businesses are using remote servers, websites, and cloud computing systems to store their confidential business information. With this increased reliance on digital systems comes increased potential for hacking attempts. By developing a media crisis plan, your company can be prepared for effective communication in the case of any security breach.
Recently, multiple large businesses have been targeted by hackers. At the end of August 2013, The New York Times website was attacked by hackers, which impacted its email communications. Other major media outlets have also been recent targets for hackers, including the Washington Post and The Financial Times. The New York Times website was attacked by a group called the Syrian Electronic Army, which also targeted the social media site Twitter.
With the number of website hacks on the rise, it is crucial for businesses and media professionals to be prepared with communication plans. If your company is victimized by a hacker, a media crisis plan can help you react appropriately and in a timely fashion. After a hack, a good plan will help you assess the damage, communicate with any affected parties, and reduce panic.
A strong media crisis plan can help your company respond quickly to website hacks so that you can avoid a loss of customer confidence. According to a recent story in Forbes magazine, the hosting provider GoDaddy crashed in early September. It responded to all Twitter inquiries in minutes, communicated clearly with customers, and fixed the problem quickly. As a result, customers didn't worry excessively about their websites.
The Forbes article also mentions another Internet service provider that crashed at the same time. Unlike GoDaddy, which responded appropriately and mitigated any incipient media crisis, the other provider stopped communicating with its customers entirely. Customers went for hours with no response from the company, leading to a massive drop in confidence and a significant increase in dissatisfaction.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends that all companies create a media crisis plan to help inform customers, government officials, employees, and other affected parties in the event of any major incident. FEMA advises that businesses define specific audiences that will be impacted by each type of hacking incident and compile contact information for each group. Companies should establish communication protocols, including plans for hacks that occur in the middle of the night or during holidays. In addition, you should designate media contact people, set up protocols that help prioritize the order of responses, and create policies for employees to follow when contacted by reporters. By doing so, you can manage any crisis and ensure a cohesive response.
By developing a media crisis communication plan, you can help your company stay on track in the case of a hacking situation. Coordinated communication will help you to bolster a positive, responsive reputation and maintain customer confidence.
(Photo courtesy of David Castillo Dominici / freedigitalphotos.net)
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