4 Tips for Effective Employee Communication in the Event of a Cyberattack

Being honest and direct with what you know so far about the situation will reassure employees during an event that can be chaotic. (Photo: fizkes/Shutterstock)

Companies are on high alert for cybersecurity breaches from ransomware attacks to phishing schemes—cyberattacks are up as much as 148% over the last year. There is constantly some new threat to be on the lookout for, but even so not all organizations have a cyberattack communication and response plan in place. A third of organizations say they are not aware of or not sure about emergency plans for incidents such as cyberattacks and system outages.

Not being prepared for an attack can cause serious harm to both companies and their employees. A report by IBM found that the average time for an organization to detect a data breach was 280 days. In that time, significant damage and costs can be inflicted, and companies can’t waste any time determining a procedure to follow up after the fact.