BulletProofBlog the blog on crisis communications

In today's e-commerce environment, data loss and theft represents many organizations' worst nightmare. Each time consumers use a credit card or submit other forms of personal information to a company - either online or off - they have a reasonable expectation that the information will be kept safe. It' s about trust. When that trust is compromised, companies are instantly thrust into a reputational crisis of epic proportions.

I recently spoke with Chris Hayes - who authors the highly informative Risktical Ramblings blog - about how companies can best salvage the fundamental brand building blocks that data loss and theft jeopardize. Companies must be transparent about the breech - informing affected customers and state attorneys general and other relevant authorities as soon as possible. They must be as forthcoming as they can about what led to the loss. And they must articulate the corrective actions being taken to ensure that such an incident never occurs again.

But in a media environment in which the bad news always trumps the good, how can a company be sure that those positive messages will be heard amidst a sea of negative coverage? The answer lies in turning to the one media venue that all others look to when IT security is front page news - the blogs.

While the traditional media' s focus on a particular data breech is usually limited only to the initial announcement and major landmarks as the story develops, tech-savvy bloggers cover the story from start to finish. They document each development. They examine the intricacies of the case. They delve into the nuance of IT security. And when the time comes for the traditional media outlets to run their inevitable follow-ups, where do you think they turn to develop the angles and insights that will shape their commentary?

If you guessed the online denizens that live and breathe the story, you' re already ahead of the game. By ensuring that blogger outreach is a key pillar of their data loss and theft response strategy, companies give their positive messaging a fighting chance to break through the clutter and reach a wide array of stakeholders.

While the average consumer, investor, or regulator may not be a daily reader of TechCrunch or Security Watch, the traditional journalists whose beats cover IT security probably are - meaning that when these key stakeholder groups turn to CNN or the New York Times for information regarding a data loss, what they' re getting is really nothing more than a re-packaging of what' s likely already been detailed on the Web.

By bringing bloggers into the fold - either by inviting them to press briefings or offering exclusive interviews - companies embroiled in a data loss and theft crisis shape the overarching narrative by taking control of it at the earliest possible point.

When public trust in your company is on the line, nothing is more important.

Richard Levick is President and CEO of Levick Strategic Communications and a contributing author to Bulletproof Blog.