Cyberattacks have long been a key concern for every business operating via the web. Year after year, the volume of cyberattacks has increased significantly. According to stats, there were around 2,365 cyberattacks in 2023. Moreover, a data breach in 2024 can cost a business an average of $4.88 million.
The question is: how can a business grow in the market while cyberattacks lurk over it?
As cyberattacks have increased in volume, so have the number of dynamic methods for handling them. While businesses must invest in effective cybersecurity measures, a cybersecurity PR strategy is also crucial.
Let’s read ahead and understand the need for a cybersecurity PR strategy and ways to build it.
Understanding Cybersecurity PR
Cybersecurity PR includes practices undertaken by a business to distribute information to users and build trust and credibility effectively. Companies can leverage the power of online media to keep their clients and customers updated about the security, transparency, and preparedness of their cybersecurity practices.
Cybersecurity PR can provide a range of benefits, including:
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Builds trust and credibility
Effective cybersecurity PR practices ensure that your customers and clients trust your business. With PR practices like newsjacking and social media presence, you can ensure responsible customer information custodians, building trust and credibility in your industry.
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Managing crisis
The spreading of misinformation can tarnish a company’s reputation. Hence, a well-planned cybersecurity PR strategy can help convey clean and honest messages, elevate accountability, and reduce panic in case of a breach or crisis.
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Educating the public
The use of cybersecurity PR comes in handy in making people aware. For example, Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers regularly organize or participate in cybersecurity events to discuss the latest improvements in cybersecurity for law firms. Furthermore, they should be educated about cyberattacks and which types are common these days. They should also convey the proper ways to handle them.
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Changing perception
When a business handles cybersecurity PR professionally, it helps change regulatory perception. For instance, conducting events, communicating with the audience, and providing them with relevant information about cybersecurity can enhance a brand’s perception. Based on this, businesses can improve their risk profile in the eyes of regulators.
6 Ways to Build an Effective Cybersecurity PR Strategy
Only 4% of organizations feel confident in their security. Why? Most don’t have a cybersecurity PR strategy, and some don’t have the proper data protection measures.
Here, we will highlight how to build a powerful cybersecurity PR strategy:
1) Secure Your Whole Digital Environment
You must lay a solid foundation to win your users’ trust via PR. Secure your business’s entire digital environment. That means securing every possible entry point from which a cybercriminal can leverage information.
That includes securing networks, applications, cloud services, and endpoints. It is also crucial to fortify each layer of your digital ecosystem.
It can include effective practices like
- Ensuring strong passwords
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
- Network segmentation
- Firewalls
- Powerful data encryption protocols
2) Protect and Back Up Your Data Regularly
As per stats, 4 in 10 malware attacks result in confidential data leakage. Hence, data protection is paramount. Regular and planned backups are fundamental in minimizing potential data losses and demonstrating preparedness.
“Effective cybersecurity PR should highlight the company’s commitment to safeguarding customer data,” said Craig Rosenbaum, Founder of Rosenbaum & Rosenbaum. “That can include rigorous encryption and frequent backups, ideally in secure, offsite locations. A key consideration is keeping the backup in a system disconnected from the web to eliminate the possibility of an attack.”
Regular backups protect against data loss in cyber incidents like ransomware attacks.
3) Train and Educate Your Employees
Your business’s core is your employees, and they can be a reason for a cyberattack. Interesting, right? Statistics suggest that 95% of cybersecurity breaches are caused by human error.
Therefore, it is critical to train and educate your employees. Regular training on phishing, password management, and secure browsing can mitigate many common threats.
Moreover, emphasizing employee education in cybersecurity PR enhances internal security and shows external stakeholders that the organization takes a comprehensive, people-centered approach.
4) Leverage Robust Cybersecurity Technologies and Frameworks
Adopting modern cybersecurity technologies and established frameworks proves your company’s dedication to staying ahead of threats. Therefore, it is crucial to empower yourself with the best ones.
For example, Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers regularly invest in endpoint detection and response (EDR) systems, intrusion detection systems, encryption tools, firewalls, and AI-driven threat analytics for their law firm.
Systems and frameworks, such as the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, Zero Trust Architecture, and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), can elevate proactive defense against cyber threats.
5) Minimize Security Risks
Security risk analysis involves identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities within your systems and processes. That includes regular network audits, penetration testing, and risk assessments. Regular assessment of the digital environment can uncover areas that need improvement beforehand.
Communicating these proactive steps assures stakeholders that you’re actively managing potential threats.
6) Develop a PR Crisis Plan
A well-prepared PR crisis plan is critical in a cybersecurity incident. The plan should outline key actions, designate spokespeople, and emphasize transparency to protect brand reputation and reassure stakeholders.
Clear messaging during a crisis can distinguish between recovery and lasting damage. An example of this is the Equifax data breach of 2017. The message was conveyed to the users late, leading to the firm’s reputational damage. This highlights the need for faster and more precise precipitation.
Conclusion
A well-defined PR strategy is crucial for all businesses, not just cybersecurity. Right now, the competition in the market is stiff, which points to the need to build trust among users. Therefore, a PR strategy is crucial. In cybersecurity, compliant and secure measures are necessary. Henceforth, keeping people informed and aware of your data security efforts is paramount.
