Most U.S. corporations crisis plans don't address the growing threat of cyberterrorism.
Steve Cody, managing partner and co-founder of Peppercom, and Chris Wolf, partner and chair of the Technology Litigation and Policy Group at law firm Proskauer Rose LLP, believe
most PR departments need to take an inventory of their crisis management plans and address cyber threats. "You need to be prepared to mitigate business disruption and reassure
target audiences," Cody says.
That means establishing alliances with the IT and legal teams as part of the plan. It's critical that key IT and communications execs speak in the immediate aftermath of any
attack so that communicators know the facts and are prepared to communicate them instantly. The legal team also has to work with communications in order to develop an understanding
ahead of time. "In some instances, legal has been the bane of PR's existence," Cody says, but if lines of communication have been established ahead of time it will be easier to
determine what information to release and what to keep quiet. "We work with PR in advance to know what their concerns are," Wolf says.
Cody and Wolf will present an in-depth look at cyber crisis preparedness at a seminar this week in New York. "Cyberterrorism: Protecting Your Business" will be held at the
offices of Proskauer Rose from 8:30 to 10:30 on Wednesday, Jan. 23. Other presenters include Scott Charney, partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and former chief of the DOJ's
Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section; Eric Friedberg, managing director and general counsel of Stroz Associates and former computer and telecommunications crime
coordinator for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York; and Hank Goldsmith, partner with Proskauer Rose and technology and intellectual property litigator.
For more information contact Sara Whitman, 212/931-6121, [email protected].