Can you communicate in a Cyber Crisis?

Jo and Jason launching our new service

What do M&S, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), Heathrow Airport, the NHS, the Co-op, Harrods and a chain of nurseries have in common? They - and many others - have been subject to recent high profile cyber attacks.

Indeed the annual review by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), a part of GCHQ, says that cyber attacks have risen by 50% in the last year, and it said that "chief executives who fail to prepare their companies for cyber attacks are 'jeopardising their business’s future.'”

I recently went to a seminar with a senior executive from NCSC, as well as someone from the National Crime Agency. Among the issues discussed was the need for companies to communicate well in a cyber attack.

Remember you will need to communicate with:

• Customers;

• Employees;

• Suppliers;

• Shareholders (especially if you are a listed company);

• Regulators;

• The authorities;

• And, of course, the media.

And how do you do this if your systems are compromised - you may not be able to access your databases, you may not be able to use the company email?

This is why Joanne Gill, a crisis expert who holds a Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate, and I have come together to offer cyber crisis preparedness training for communications teams. We've even recorded a little video to launch our service.

From building ISO 22361-aligned crisis management plans that dovetail into your cyber incident response protocols, to defining escalation procedures and running tailored simulation exercises, we help organisations be ready when it counts.

We can provide:

• Cyber Crisis Planning;

• Simulations and Exercises To Prepare for a Cyber Crisis;

• Experienced Support In the Event of a Cyber Incident;

• Communications Compliance Consultancy;

• And Support to Limit The Long-Term Impact of Cyber Events.

So if any of this interests you - get in touch.