This week we explore why so many organisations fall short in how they respond publicly to a cyber incident or data breach.

Even for organisations that have a well-exercised "crisis communications" muscle, too often a data breach results in a response that infuriates and erodes trust in equal measure.

We explore why standard crisis comms principles don't always apply in a data breach, and what good looks like.

Links:

Article with analysis of Qantas comms response (Mumbrella) https://mumbrella.com.au/just-trust-us-were-qantas-880124

Article with analysis of Qantas comms response (Security Brief) https://securitybrief.com.au/story/experts-give-qantas-mixed-reviews-on-cyber-breach-response

Oped from James Turner on Qantas data breach (AFR) https://www.afr.com/technology/why-the-qantas-hack-should-send-chills-around-corporate-australia-20250710-p5me2r

Article about Qantas data breach (Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jul/02/qantas-confirms-cyber-attack-exposes-records-of-up-to-6-million-customers

Article about PageUp data breach (Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jun/07/thousands-of-job-seekers-details-potentially-exposed-in-hack

elevenM blog on cyber crisis communications (elevenM) https://elevenm.com.au/blog/the-four-pitfalls-of-cyber-crisis-communications/

Credits:

Editing and post-production by Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio) ⁠www.eastcoaststudio.com.au⁠

Music by Bensound.com