With convenience comes danger Smartphones have gone far past being a fancy means of communication. They are our bank tellers, our maps, our offices-away-from-the office, and so much more, and all of this increased functionality is made possible by the use of apps. Pretty awesome, right? Not so fast…our colleague …
Crisis Management Quotables…on Intent and Reality
It’s important to test your communications to see how they sound coming out of your mouth before sharing in public We return to our Crisis Management Quotables with a line from a great thinker. Herman Hesse authored, among other works, Steppenwolf, Siddartha, and The Glass Bead Game, and left a …
Software As a Cybersecurity Risk
Are the programs you use to work leaving you vulnerable to attack? Publicly held companies are being ranked, both by stakeholders and the SEC, on their ability to prevent and withstand cyber attacks. Although most have put some form of security measures in place, the experts at Veracode say software …
Potential UK Laws Could Create Crisis for Messaging Apps
Evidence of the need to watch the horizon for emerging risks to your organization British prime minister David Cameron has proposed new legislation aimed at combating terrorism that would allow British intelligence agencies to intercept and decode messages between suspects. We aren’t here to speak about the politics of this …
A-Rod’s Crisis Management To-Do List
Doing the right thing could sway fence-sitters and restore the faith of fans, but it will take a hefty dose of honesty and humility The saga of Alex Rodriguez has been one full of ups and downs, with repeated mea culpas and seeming returns to normality, followed by yet more …
Social Media in 2015
Knowing how media will change and grow is key to being positioned to use it effectively Keeping tabs on the changes to the tools we use every day is part of staying prepared to deliver the best crisis management possible. Of course, what tool has made more of an impact …
Inflight Internet Provider Gogo Caught in Major No-No
Caught in a potentially shady situation, Gogo’s crisis management doesn’t hold up In-flight Internet provider Gogo was caught in a major no-no this week when a traveling Google engineer disovered it was issuing faked SSL certificates for YouTube. SSL certificates are part of the technology that is supposed to ensure …
Hotels, Reviews, and Reputation
Proof that reviews and the reputation they create have an impact on your bottom line Although it’s widely accepted today that positive reviews are important, for many businesses spending time and money on managing those reviews is an afterthought. To illustrate just how important managing your online reputation really is, …
Chik-Fil-A’s Data Breach Response Just OK
A decent response that lacked one critical ingredient It appears we can belatedly add Chik-Fil-A to the list of organizations hacked in 2014, as reports have emerged stating the fast food chain was bleeding data from Dec.2, 2013, to Sept. 30, 2014. To its credit, Chick-fil-A did release a statement …
Crisis Management Risk – Web Browser Flaws
The prevalence and constant use of web browsers makes then an ideal point of entry for malicious hackers In case the many recent posts to this blog covering cyber crimes haven’t made it clear, at this point it’s not a question of whether you’ll be attacked, but when. A new …
Ebola Handling Error Bad Sign for CDC
Is the agency walking its talk when it comes to crisis management and safety protocol? The CDC is supposed to be setting the standard for coping with Ebola, but a recent slip brought about a major backlash from the scientific community. The NY Times’ Denise Grady and Donald G. McNeil, …
Military Crisis Management for Cyber Threats
U.S. Cyber Command a solid model for businesses to follow The hacks and breaches of the past several years have made clear to us that cyber crime is here to stay, and that plans to prevent and mitigate the damage from these attacks is an absolute must for crisis management. …
How Has Social Media Impacted Breaking News?
Knowing about factors that influence reporting will help your crisis management There’s no doubt that social media has affected the way breaking news is reported, for better and for worse. Regardless of whether you believe it’s been a boon or a bane, you need to be versed on the changes …
Jonathan Bernstein on the Sony Hack and Next Steps
Can the movie studio recover, and if so, how? The Sony Hack is an unprecedented event that could very easily become the new norm. After all, hackers have proven their ability to penetrate just about any system they want time and time again over the past couple of years, and …
Disarming Social Media Attacks
[Editor’s note: The following is a great example of real-life crisis management methods used by PR pro Karl Robe to cope with an unrelenting upset customer that took her complaints to social media and beyond.] Dealing with problem stakeholders on social media A national retailer client of Karl James & …