{"title":"Reporting a Cyber Security Breach: How Organizations Respond","authors":"Jef Naidoo, Ron Dulek, Seth Butler, Brooke Baily","doi":"10.1177/23294884241236201","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Cyber breaches and ransomware attacks now occur so frequently that they have become facets of organizational life. These breaches are unique in that they are initially silent; a limited number of organizational members know about the incident so firms usually have ample time to prepare a Cyber Breach Revelation (CBR). This study analyzes 378 press releases acknowledging a cyber security breach. It finds four response clusters that highlight how compromised organizations reveal cyberattacks to external stakeholders: (1) empathetic acknowledgment; (2) assurance of the organization’s breach-handling capability; (3) restoration of confidence; and, (4) re-establishment of trust and loyalty. These clusters provide meaningful insights as to how firms reveal cyber breaches to their stakeholders and, equally as important, open the door for further studies as to the effectiveness and sequencing of these approaches.","PeriodicalId":45593,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Business Communication","volume":"2016 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1000,"publicationDate":"2024-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Business Communication","FirstCategoryId":"96","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/23294884241236201","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"BUSINESS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Cyber breaches and ransomware attacks now occur so frequently that they have become facets of organizational life. These breaches are unique in that they are initially silent; a limited number of organizational members know about the incident so firms usually have ample time to prepare a Cyber Breach Revelation (CBR). This study analyzes 378 press releases acknowledging a cyber security breach. It finds four response clusters that highlight how compromised organizations reveal cyberattacks to external stakeholders: (1) empathetic acknowledgment; (2) assurance of the organization’s breach-handling capability; (3) restoration of confidence; and, (4) re-establishment of trust and loyalty. These clusters provide meaningful insights as to how firms reveal cyber breaches to their stakeholders and, equally as important, open the door for further studies as to the effectiveness and sequencing of these approaches.
期刊介绍:
The International Journal of Business Communication (IJBC) publishes manuscripts that contribute to knowledge and theory of business communication as a distinct, multifaceted field approached through the administrative disciplines, the liberal arts, and the social sciences. Accordingly, IJBC seeks manuscripts that address all areas of business communication including but not limited to business composition/technical writing, information systems, international business communication, management communication, and organizational and corporate communication. In addition, IJBC welcomes submissions concerning the role of written, verbal, nonverbal and electronic communication in the creation, maintenance, and performance of profit and not for profit business.