Crisis Alert: Data Breach Reaction Procedures

Avoid being drawn into the worst timeline. Data leaks and cyberattacks are becoming more frequent. According to Javelin Strategy & Research, fraud losses from active bank and credit card accounts increased by 45 percent to $16 billion in 2017. Welcome to the modern workplace, where hazards are both fresh and sophisticated.

The good news is that businesses are starting to understand that their response to a breach may be just as crucial as the digital infrastructure they employ to protect themselves from intruders.

According to Jason Maloni, SVP of communications agency Levick, as stated in the Wall Street Journal, "Customers will always judge a business by the swift action it takes, rather than what got you into trouble in the first place."

What should you do, therefore, if your system has been compromised and you don't know how much of your clients' personal information has been taken? Let's divide it into manageable steps.

Assemble a team to respond to data breaches

Even though IT security normally handles the technical aspects, your total response to a data breach necessitates a team of numerous individuals from several departments. Depending on its size and complexity, it should at the very least consist of the CIO, chief privacy officer, general counsel, the manager of the programme experiencing the breach, a member of your crisis communications team, and an executive from finance or procurement.

Inform your staff of their jobs and responsibilities.

When it comes to your data breach response plan, it's crucial to ensure that staff are knowledgeable. Make it a point to define everyone's roles and responsibilities as your plan is tested and improved. Additionally, ensure that everyone allocated a function is aware of how information is sent (or must be transferred) between departments in times of emergency and how decisions are made inside the company. When responding to a data breach, timing is essential, and it can be expensive if the necessary personnel can't be found.

Analyse the breach's size and effects

The assessment stage is when it's important to estimate the risk's magnitude and the potential impact to stakeholders. Businesses can then decide whether or not to inform customers once that has been determined. Make sure firm executives are well briefed on how to express the complexity of the situation because your comments may frequently be highly visible, if not public. If the situation worsens, the more information you can give the public or the media, the better. The PR blow to your company might be fatal if you are discovered to be withholding crucial information from your clients. Be honest and direct.

Know which agencies to notify of data breaches and have a clear reporting mechanism in place

If you haven't done so already, you should create processes for reporting breaches as soon as they are suspected or proven. Knowing where to look for information during a breach is crucial, as was noted in the second bullet. A well-designed response plan outlines which resources are most suitable to address a certain information or action request. Response times to external organisations and agencies will increase as internal processes are completed.

Review responses to determine lessons learnt.

Even the simplest activities done in reaction to a data breach should be reviewed and evaluated by businesses. Companies can incorporate this knowledge into their compliance and governance models that deal with security and privacy by recognising the lessons learnt. You shouldn't want a significant catastrophe to be the plan's first test, so continuously testing and improving your response strategy.

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