Recently ICR participated in a webcast panel discussion with our client, Affinion Security Center, a leading provider of identity theft and data breach solutions, about the need for companies to prepare for a data breach. As some of the panelists noted, a data breach is a question of when, not if, for some companies.

The recent T-Mobile data incident illustrates the challenges that companies face when communication around any issues involving customer privacy and person information. It can be nearly impossible for a company at the outset to answer even basic questions about what happened, while all of a company’s stakeholders, from media and investors to partners, customers and regulators are all awaiting a response.

Because the nature of a crisis is that it is a sudden, unexpected event, the key is that you must plan in advance. From a communications perspective, it is important to coordinate a corporate-wide response to an imagined data breach. In addition, the actual response to breach (or any crisis) requires taking responsibility, showing empathy, delivering direct and redundant (several channels) communication and providing tangible and commensurate remediation.

The biggest hurdle can be getting over the initial wave of “wishful thinking” and hoping the crisis will pass. Warren Buffet is credit with saying “crises do not get better with age.” An external crisis communications partner can provide the level of experience and objectivity necessary to help a company avoid the denial phase and proactively take control of communications, minimizing the potential damage to business and reputation.

For more information about data breach crisis communications, you can download a copy of Affinion Security Center’s BreachShield Data Breach Response Guide.

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