Modern Communicators Toolbox - Information Safety
Information Safety - Data Breach Concerns
In the past communications professionals, like all industries, were a static entity, based in an office and tied to a desk. The ever-changing face of technology has caused the work of modern-day communicators to evolve to a largely digital platform. We no longer have a need for walls of filing cabinets. All of our information can be stored on hard drives and in the Cloud, easily accessible from anywhere. That fact alone requires consideration. If we can access this information from anywhere, who else can? In the past decade, most of the United States has experienced a data breach of some sort.
In 2020, U.S. businesses were the victim of 1,108 data breaches. But by the end of September this year, 2021’s total was 1,291. (Morris, 2021).
Will Cathcart, Head of WhatsApp speaking on the importance of data protection in the Digital Age.
While it is not necessary for communication professionals to know how to create encryption for their files, it is important for communicators to understand that they need to be able to protect the data their clients are sharing with them. By being proactive in the implementation of a crisis management or data breach communications plan, organizations are creating a pattern of ethical best practices in support of transparency and the responsibility of all stakeholders invested in the success of the said organization.
Crisis Communication Planning for a Data Breach
In the event of a data breach within an organization, the public relations team is part of the group tasked with creating avenues of communication to the stakeholders affected. The link above is to an article from Travelers Insurance. It contains a list of considerations when creating a crisis protection plan.
References
Morris, C. (2021, October 21). Data Breaches in 2021 Already Top All of Last Year. Nasdaq. Retrieved November 14, 2021, from https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/data-breaches-in-2021-already-top-all-of-last-year-2021-10-21
Travelers Risk Control. (2021). Crisis Communications Planning for a Data Breach. Travelers Insurance. Retrieved November 15, 2021, from https://www.travelers.com/resources/cyber-security/crisis-communications-planning-for-a-data-breach
Comments
Post a Comment